This month marks a significant transition at Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland, as Scott Coles steps in as managing director, succeeding Mark Davies.
Davies is retiring after an impressive 34-year tenure with the company, having assumed the managing director position in 2023.
Prior to his role as MD, Davies served as the vice president of Nestlé’s strategic business unit in Switzerland. He played a vital role in designing and implementing the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, a key initiative aimed at creating shared value within the cocoa supply chain.
In his new capacity, Coles will join the Nestlé UK & Ireland leadership team, where he will lead efforts to expand market share and enhance value within the confectionery sector for both consumers and customers.
Coles brings extensive experience to this role, having joined Nestlé in 1997. His career spans various positions within the UK food and beverage sector, including customer management, commercial finance, and category development. Furthermore, he led the Oceania sales team after relocating to Australia, where he also served as managing director of nutritious snacks.
Since 2018, Coles has overseen the coffee business across Central and West Africa, a region comprising 25 countries. Additionally, he was responsible for consumer communications within the area.
Throughout his leadership, Coles has consistently driven category growth and developed impactful, locally relevant communication campaigns.
“It’s an honour to lead the UK and Ireland Confectionery business at such an exciting time. With KitKat and Aero celebrating 90 years, I’ll be joining our exceptional confectionery team to celebrate these brilliant brands as they continue to thrive on their milestone anniversaries,” said Coles.
“I’m looking forward to supporting and championing the sustainability work done across the business, including the Income Accelerator Programme, which aims to increase cocoa farming families’ net income and promote good agricultural practices.”
This news follows the introduction of Nestlé Confectionery’s latest offering—Aero Coconut. This limited-edition bar is part of the Aero Lost Bubbles campaign, which features an enticing £10k prize for any bubble-less pack discovered by shoppers in the UK and Ireland.
