The commercial director of Dutch marketer The Greenery, Bart Merkus, has left the company after less than eight months in the job, it has been reported.
Merkus, who previously held various senior commercial positions at Mars Inc, Westland Cheese Group and Heineken, had been expected to push forward The Greenery's planned expansion into new international markets by developing its global marketing strategy.
However, towards the end of August rumours began to circulate that Merkus was in fact no longer working for the company.
'In consultation with the supervisory board it was decided that the employment would be terminated,' a spokesperson for the company told Dutch magazine Groenten & Fruit.
The decision is understood to have been made unanimously and widely supported by growers belonging to horticultural cooperative Coforta, which sells the majority of its fresh produce through The Greenery.
Merkus took on the role of commercial director at The Greenery on 9 January 2012, joining its senior management team alongside general manager Philip Smits and finance director Albert Knol.
