Hovis appoints Mark Brown as first chief marketing officer

Hovis has named former General Mills marketing chief Mark Brown as the brand’s first chief marketing officer.

The appointment follows the business returning to profit last year, and stating it was now focusing on strengthening its competitive position in the market.

Hovis said Brown brings with him a “vast and varied knowledge of the food industry”.

He has held senior marketing positions at Kraft Foods, Kerry Foods and General Mills, where he was most recently marketing director for Europe and Australasia while also having global responsibility for the Old El Paso and snack brands.

“I’m delighted to join Hovis as the company’s first chief marketing officer,” Brown said. “It’s a pleasure to be joining one of the nation’s most loved brands.

“I’m looking forward to working together with the team to focus on the growth of the brand, with some exciting plans in the pipeline.”

Brown’s appointment is the latest in a series of changes at Hovis, including former Allied Bakeries boss Jon Jenkins joining as CEO in October 2022.

Speaking of the new appointment Jenkins said: “Mark brings with him the right experience and leadership qualities to help drive the brand forward. I look forward to working with him to unlock the full potential in the market for Hovis and our customers.”

The business is also strengthening its supply chain by upgrading its delivery fleet to ensure all vehicles are less than 12 months old by the end of this year. Hovis’ third-party logistics business, which carries other bakery products to its customer stores, will be expanded on the back of this fleet investment.

A new £2m advertising campaign voiced by actor Christopher Eccleston was rolled out in March, reintroducing the brand’s tag line ‘as good today as it’s always been’. The move, said Hovis, is aimed at supporting volume growth in its core bread business.

The company has also signed an exclusive three-year licensing agreement with Oxford-based start-up Modern Baker to expand manufacturing and distribution partnership of gut-healthy bread brand Superloaf.