A change at the top for Kellogg’s

The MediaCityUK headquartered British and Irish arm of cereal and snack giant Kellogg’s is set for a new leader following a series of internal promotions which will see Oli Morton run Kellogg’s businesses across Western Europe.

As a result Chris Silcock, currently Kellogg’s senior sales director and an alumnus of UMIST, has been promoted to the role of vice-president and chief of the UK and Irish business effective immediately.

Chris (45) joined Kellogg’s in August 2018. Over the past year, Chris’s tenure as commercial leader has seen the business continue to grow sales of both breakfast cereals and the company’s Pringles brand.

In cereal he has overseen the successful launch of products, like Coco Pops White Chocolate with 30% less sugar and the launch of Pringles Rice Fusion – a new format Pringles made of rice.

Coca Cola European Partners where, in his role as grocery channel director, he worked with trade partners to deliver significant value growth in soft drinks.

In a career spanning various FMCG categories and channels, Silcock has also held roles at Coca Cola Enterprises as a field sales director and worked for Asda Walmart for 13 years in a number of different roles, including as Impulse grocery category director.

Chris has a BSc in Management Sciences from UMIST, now The University of Manchester. He lives with his family in Leeds.

This change comes as the current head of Kellogg’s in Britain – Oli Morton – has been promoted to run Kellogg’s businesses across Western Europe.

Oli (40), who has worked for Kellogg’s since July 2016, moved from UK senior sales director to take the helm of Kellogg’s UK & Ireland in October 2017.

He said: “It goes without saying that I’m immensely proud to have led Kelloggs in the UK and Ireland during which time we have delivered growth and taken leadership stances across our categories to become Britain’s most trusted food company. That’s led us to do things which many may not have expected – like substantial sugar reduction on Coco Pops and the adoption of traffic light labelling on our packs.

“But, business results aside, I remain humbled by the difference we continue to make to communities up and down the UK – like the doubling of our breakfast club programme and a commitment to move our packaging to reusable, compostable or recyclable options.”

“I’m looking forward to working with Chris and the rest of the UK business in my new role and to continuing our leadership journey.”

Oli and family will now relocate to Dublin with his family.

Kellogg’s has been based in Manchester since 1938 and today employees more than 1,000 people across the city-region. It operates the world’s largest cereal factory in Trafford Park and moved its UK and Irish HQ from Talbot Road in Trafford to Salford’s MediaCityUK in January 2018.