Yowie Group Ltd has appointed its head of North American operations and global chief operating officer Mark Schuessler as its new global chief executive officer.
He replaces Bert Alfonso who stepped down from the role and resigned as a company director on 2 January.
Plan to launch in Canada
The change comes as the chocolate confectionery company plans to revitalise U.S. sales growth and launch into Canada during 2018.
Schuessler joined Yowie in mid-2016, leading international market development and operations initially, then the entire North American business from August 2017.
Prior to joining Yowie, he was president and COO of Doumak, a US manufacturer of marshmallows with business in over 70 countries.
Schuessler, who doubled Doumak’s revenues in less than five years, was originally in finance and sales, with companies including Procter and Gamble and Campbell Soups.
Further expansion plans
Yowie also plans to expand distribution in Australia and is targeting expansion in New Zealand and throughout Asia.
Expansion into Europe and the Middle East are key priorities for a future brand rollout.
Sales growth guidance revised down
Following disappointing sales performance for the six months ending 31 December 2017, Yowie has revised its net sales growth guidance for the 2018 financial year to 17% from 55%.
By John Miller
Source: Proactive Investors
A new wave of brands is emerging that promotes indulgence and rejects the notion of sacrifice. Low-maintenance “hangover” beauty products are designed to address the effects of late nights and partying without judgment or hassle, and even include cosmetics that are formulated in a way that means you can fall asleep in your makeup without feeling guilty.
The pilot will allow the company to scale circular packaging in about 18 markets over the next three years, an approach that jumps on the success of similar efforts in the company’s Indonesia ecoSPIRITS program, which launched in 2022 and is active in 38 bars.
Unilever’s focus on purpose across its brands has been a source of criticism from some of its investors. Its new CEO Hein Schumacher says the company now recognises there are some brands where the concept is simply not relevant.