Food company Dr. Oetker has announced that Georg Heerdegen Parsbo has stepped down as the managing director of Dr. Oetker UK, effective January 2022.
Parsbo will join Dr. Oetker’s international board and take responsibility for people and culture with the human resources and act as coach for Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
Johannes Rosenthal will continue as the company’s managing director and assume responsibility for its UK operations in Leyland in addition to leading supply chain, finance, administration, purchasing and IT departments.
John Brassington [pictured], previously executive head of UK Sales, will step in as joint managing director alongside Johannes Rosenthal.
Brassington will be responsible for sales, marketing, category, insights and NRM, inclusion and diversity, quality assurance, HR, and act as coach for Dr. Oetker Ireland.
'Driving Future Growth'
Commenting on the appointment, Brassington said, “Thanks to strong direction over the past four years from both Georg [Heerdegen Parsbo] and Johannes [Rosenthal], we’re in an incredibly exciting position to capitalise on opportunities within the categories we operate. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenges of driving future growth.”
The management change comes at a time when the company is eyeing strategic development and sustained growth in its core categories of home baking and frozen pizza in both retail and out-of-home sectors.
Parsbo and Rosenthal joined the UK board in March 2018 and have since jointly helped the business increase its market penetration and sales.
Growth In Core Brands
In this period, the company witnessed growth in its core brands, including Chicago Town, Ristorante, Taylor and Colledge and Dr. Oetker Baking.
Rosenthal commented, “It has been a pleasure to work with Georg [Heerdegen Parsbo] going from strength to strength in what is a very dynamic UK pizza and cake market.
“I am thrilled to welcome John [Brassington] to join me in the leadership team as he brings tremendous experience and all the relevant skills to continue on our growth path and realise many new opportunities for Dr. Oetker in the UK.”
Elsewhere, Matt Pringle, who previously served as head of sales for channel development at Dr. Oetker UK, will join the leadership team as executive head of UK sales. [Pic copyright Phil Tragen 2021]
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more A-brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
