The week before the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago last month, Mars Wrigley announced some leadership role changes as well as a couple newly created positions within the company.
Berta de Pablos-Barbier assumed the newly created role of global chief category officer earlier this year. In this position, she represents all of Mars Wrigley’s global business units on the leadership team to drive accelerated capabilities and growth. Her experience covers multiple industries, geographies and business models; she has lived and worked for Mars in Europe, Russia, the Middle East and the U.S., creating strong marketing and innovation platforms to drive growth and delight consumers. She most recently served as president for the Mars Wrigley U.S. business, the company’s largest market. Prior to this she was chief marketing officer (CMO) in the U.S. Chocolate business and also served in global marketing/CMO roles with the Gucci Group and Lacoste, Inc., where she drove one of her passions, digital transformation. She is relocating to Chicago.
Rankin Carroll, previously the global and U.S. lead of the Fruity Confections segment, is now global vice president, chocolate, leading global marketing, advertising and strategic development initiatives for iconic brands such as M&M’S, SNICKERS, TWIX, DOVE/GALAXY and MALTESERS. Carroll brings to this role his experience in Mars, working across geographies and segments, including nearly nine years in their chocolate business, during which he successfully led the chocolate bars portfolio and ice cream business in Europe. He is based in London.
Heather Kang has been appointed as global vice president, digital demand. Her remit will now expand to include building new digital capabilities in the confectionery segment, including portfolio, advanced data and analytics, search, content and media. Since July 2017, as global vice president, digital commerce, Kang’s core focus has been to enable Mars Wrigley to build capabilities to accelerate growth with online retailers. Under her leadership, the global digital commerce center of excellence has scaled these capabilities across 18 markets where the company has built customer leadership and digital store capabilities. She is based in Chicago.
Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, global brand director for EXTRA/ORBIT, will be expanding her responsibilities and will now also be global vice president, gum & mints, succeeding Orla Mitchell. Sahasrabuddhe joined Mars in 2015 as the marketing director for Wrigley China, where she led the introduction of many successful, locally relevant product and pack innovations and the development of breakthrough marketing campaigns and communication platforms. She was named global brand director for EXTRA/ORBIT in 2018. She is based in Chicago.
Jane Hwang, global brand director of SKITTLES, will also be expanding her remit to become global vice president, fruity confections. The position was earlier held by Rankin Carroll. Hwang has led SKITTLES globally since 2016. In this time, she has led the team to create new category blockbusters with the global introduction of Chewies in 2018 and launch campaign and communication platforms that have led to best-in-class market activation, such as SKITTLES Pride and the U.S. Super Bowl. She is based in Chicago.
Hank Izzo has been appointed to the newly created role of vice president, marketing, U.S., in which he will represent all of Mars Wrigley U.S.’s segments on the U.S. Leadership Team across the entire portfolio. A 20-year Mars veteran, Izzo will also continue running the Mars Wrigley U.S. ice cream business. He will also continue to lead the Ethel M Chocolates and The Cocoa Exchange businesses. He is based in Hackettstown, N.J.
