Hotel Chocolat promotes CMO to UK chief executive
Group CMO Lysa Hardy has been promoted to UK chief executive of Hotel Chocolat, while Lynne Ormrod has been promoted to global CMO.
Hotel Chocolat has promoted its group chief marketing officer Lysa Hardy to the role of UK chief executive following the brand’s acquisition by confectionery giant Mars.
She takes over the top job from co-founder Angus Thirlwell who has moved into the role of chair. Mars paid £534m to acquire the British chocolate brand at the beginning of this year.
Hardy has been at Hotel Chocolat for six years. She joined the organisation as group CMO as well as UK managing director for direct to consumer in 2018. During Hardy’s time in role, the UK business doubled in size and introduced its highly popular innovation, Velvetiser Hot Chocolate.
Before joining Hotel Chocolat, Hardy was chief customer officer at clothing retailer Joules. Before that, she spent four years as chief commercial officer at Holland & Barrett. She has also held senior marketing roles at the RAC, EE and T-Mobile and non-executive roles, including at Superdry between 2023 and 2024. She also served as chair at mental health charity Herts School Outreach (HSO) for a year.
Is Mars the answer to Hotel Chocolat’s global expansion woes?
With Hardy promoted from her role as group CMO to become chief executive, Lynne Ormrod has now been promoted into the role of global CMO. Ormrod, who has held the role of chief marketing officer since December 2022, will now take responsibility for the global marketing function.
Ormrod has been at Hotel Chocolat for five and a half years, having joined as director of marketing. She previously worked in the telecoms industry, at brands including BT, EE and T-Mobile. Ormrod and Hardy worked together previously at T-Mobile between 2008 and 2011.
When Mars completed the acquisition of Hotel Chocolat in January it said it was well-placed to “provide the brand with an enhanced platform for growth, in the UK and potentially in new geographies”. On acquisition, co-founder Thirlwell said the transaction would bring the “premium brand to the global stage”.
Hotel Chocolat’s attempts to expand overseas have so far been unsuccessful, with its aborted plans to move into Japan and the US contributing to recent poor financial performance. However, as part of this acquisition, its new owner is positioning itself as the force to take Hotel Chocolat global.
