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Findus, the frozen food manufacturer, has poached Nestle marketer

Gerardo Mazzeo to be its new UK marketing director.

Mazzeo will head a team of eight and report to Findus' UK managing

director Mohan Mohan. He will work alongside European marketing director

Suzanne Nagle.

At Nestle, Mazzeo, 33, was European marketing manager in charge of the

Winalot dog food portfolio.

In 1999 he launched Winalot Complete Direction+ to capitalise on the

trend for pet owners to demand healthier food for their animals. Under

his direction the Winalot portfolio grew from pounds 25m to pounds 55m

in four years. Mazzeo had also worked at Kraft Foods.

The position of UK marketing director at Findus has been vacant for

around a year, since Nestle sold the company to Swedish investment

company EQT and Nagle took on the Europe-wide marketing role.

Mazzeo said Findus wanted to start "nipping at the heels" of market

leader Bird's Eye in some product categories. The brand has already

launched the Feeling Great range, which competes closely with Bird's

Eye's Enjoy!.

Mazzeo said Feeling Great was the first of a number of new launches

planned. Existing brands include Cod Crispies and Crispy Pancakes.

Mazzeo said he had no plans to review Findus' advertising arrangements.

Nagle appointed Grey Worldwide to handle the brand across Europe in

March last year. A pounds 7m campaign for Feeling Great launches in

August.