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Gallaher Tobacco has hired former Mars Confectionery UK sales

director Neil England to oversee marketing for top-name brands including

Benson & Hedges and Hamlet.

England joined Gallaher last month in the new role of commercial

director for UK and Ireland and will report to chief executive Nigel

Northridge.

He will oversee the company's marketing budget alongside director of

strategic marketing Patrick Billson.

England's FMCG experience will be crucial as Gallaher - along with the

rest of the industry - looks for ways to combat impending legislation to

restrict tobacco marketing.

Gallaher's brands include B&H, Silk Cut, Mayfair, Hamlet and Amber Leaf.

Advertising is split between M&C Saatchi and cdp:travissully, with B&H

spending around £10m a year in the UK on above-the-line ads.

The B&H brand is also the title sponsor of the Jordan Grand Prix Formula

One team, and is believed to spend around £25m a year on the

deal.

England joins the tobacco company after being involved in a number of

venture-capital backed projects. Prior to that, he spent more than 15

years at Mars in a variety of senior sales roles.