Nestlé names Niamh Twyford as Irish confectionery leader, as it increases major cocoa campaign
Niam Twyford appointed head of Nestle's Irish confectionery business. Pic: Nestle
A key appointment has been made by Nestlé Ireland as it names Niamh Twyford as country manager for confectionery, leading the nation’s business including its core portfolio including KitKat, Aero, Smarties, and Quality Street, writes Neill Barston.
Her appointment comes amid a period of continued growth for the company across its international interests, with this summer having been especially notable for new product development within its UK operations in particular with its major brands.
As Confectionery Production recently reported, the Swiss headquartered firm’s latest senior hire in Ireland comes as the business has just taken a notable strategic step with its Income Accelerator programme for its operations across the region.
This has seen all its core brands specifically using segregated cocoa ingredients sourced from farming families including in Ivory Coast that are part of the company’s project that is targeting reaching 160,000 people working within the sector to raise their living standards, which it has done through working with the Rainforest Alliance.
Linked to the scheme, there has been a notable public engagement project featuring 3D billboard advertising within several key London sites stressing the importance of cocoa farmers to its operations, which is the first of its kind for several years for the business.
Nestle’s latest income accelerator ad campaign in London. Pic: Nestle
The Income Accelerator has built uponNestlé’s Cocoa Plan, aiming to help close the living income gap of cocoa-farming families through a range of community engagement programmes, as well as tackling child labour issues that remain prominent within the broader sector.
As for its latest appointment, Niamh has gained over 20 years’ experience within the food and nutrition industry, working with global brand and marketing communications agencies, Twyford brings a proven track record of success to the role, with a deep knowledge of insights around consumer behaviour patterns and preferences.
She joins Nestlé Ireland from CPM, a global sales outsourcing and brand experience agency where she held the role of Client Services Director managing the Diageo account. Prior to this, she spent more than six years at Pladis Global as Head of Marketing and Category driving the commercial growth of sweet and savoury biscuit brands including McVitie’s, Carr’s, GODIVA and Flipz. Her early career includes senior brand roles at Danone, Mondeléz International and Cadbury.
Having graduated from Dublin City University, Twyford holds a Bachelor of Business Studies (Marketing) and is a qualified business coach. Speaking about the appointment, Kieran Conroy, Country Manager, Nestlé Ireland, said: “Niamh brings a wealth of experience to the team, acquired from working in a variety of roles and business functions across the food and beverage industry, nationally and globally. She has a proven history of success, driving growth across several brand portfolios, devising, and implementing strategies which resonate with consumers to build brand equities.
“Niamh joins the Nestlé team at an extremely exciting time for the confectionery category, where we are committed to building a more exciting, sustainable, and innovative business, delighting our consumers with Nestlé confectionery brands that are known and loved across the country.”