Blow to Sainsbury's marketing team as two key staff leave the business

Sainsbury’s is to lose two key marketing bosses.

Former MasterCard director Mark Horgan will now not take up his post as marketing director due to “personal reasons”. He was due to start this month.

Meanwhile head of marketing strategy Claire Harrison-Church is to leave in February for unconfirmed reasons.

The appointment of Horgan - who had worked at MFI before MasterCard where he was managing director of Access Prepaid Worldwide - was confirmed in August after a year-long search.

Horgan had been due to join the operating board and to report to group commercial director Mike Coupe, who will remain in overall charge of marketing, a responsibility he has held since summer 2010.

Coupe took on the role when marketing director Gwyn Burr moved to the position of customer service and colleague director.

Former Boots marketer Harrison-Church joined Sainsbury’s in 2009 as director of brand communications before replacing Helen Buck as head of marketing strategy.

It has not been confirmed whether Harrison-Church has a new job to go to.

Details of Horgan and Harrison-Church’s replacements will be announced in due course, according to the retailer.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “After nearly three years at Sainsbury’s, Claire Harrison-Church has decided to leave the company and pursue other opportunities.

“Claire has been responsible for successful campaigns such as ‘Feed your Family for £50’ and the newly launched ‘Live Well for Less’ brand repositioning.

“Claire will leave Sainsbury’s in February and we wish her well for the future.”

Source : Alex Lawson - Retail Week
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