Mars’ chief customer officer, Andrew Clarke, has been appointed to the newly created role of chief marketing and customer officer following the resignation of long serving chief marketing officer, Bruce McColl.
Clark, who has held the position of chief customer officer since 2015, will oversee the teams that deliver expertise in media, consumer marketing, customer and sales. McColl, a 24-year veteran of Mars and the company’s chief marketing officer since 2006, will retire from the business in June.
Mars Incorporated president and CEO, Grant F. Reid, said marketplace dynamics are blurring the lines between sales and marketing.
“Retail and shopper trends are moving at a remarkable pace and Digital is providing new routes to reach consumers that blend advertising and selling. We’re evolving our approach to advance the way our marketing and customer strategies work together to address these trends.”
Commenting on his appointment, Clarke said: “Mars has tremendous brands supported by world-class marketing communications, and that will continue as the expert CMOs in our segments drive creativity and innovation.
“Building on that, consumers are demanding a more seamless brand experience, and we have an opportunity to grow our categories with our brands and our customers. In this new role I see myself as a connector between our muscle in marketing and our strength in sales, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity.”