Jacob's appointment to strengthen trade?
development manager in a bid to strengthen Jacob's offerings to its
trade customers. As more European manufacturers turn to vegetable
fats, the challenge is on for ingredients suppliers to meet the
needs of new chocolate formulatons.
Jacob's has appointed Jeremy Hughes as the new commercial development manager in a bid to strengthen Jacob's offerings to its trade customers. Hughes is encumbered with the task of sharpening the company's category management expertise, identifying new growth opportunities and achieving point of sale excellence.
Hughes is set to head a six-strong category management team out of Jacob's London office, working closely with the sales and marketing teams.
Hughes will rejoin Jacob's after a two year absence with Danone at their Paris office where he worked as category management director where he was responsible for category management and merchandising of LU biscuits. Hughes' experience was further broadened with positions at Cadbury's and Lego prior to his term with Danone.
"These are exciting times for Jacob's" says Hughes.
"Although the biscuit market as a whole is fairly stagnant, the savoury biscuit and cracker and crispbread categories are experiencing year on year growth of 5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. It is vital that as key player, Jacob's works with retailers to harness the strong performance of both categories. Much of my new role will be concerned with looking at ways of driving these categories forward, by responding to changing consumer and market trends and balancing Jacob's product portfolio".
The portfolio consists of more than 100 products, spanning the whole sweet and savoury biscuit market. Jacob's an offset of the Danone with a turnover of £186.4 million (€266 million) and employs over 2100 staff, Jacob's operates from five locations in the British Isles and has a further two manufacturing sites.
