Consumer brand multinational Mars Wrigley has hired PepsiCo’s Alejandro Pinillos as its vp of marketing for Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Turkey to strengthen its communications across those regions.
Pinillos will join from PepsiCo, where was svp for snacks in Europe since 2011 running a team of 50 people across brands including Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles and local brands such as Walkers, Duyvis, PopWorks and Hrusteam.
Prior to his time at PepsiCo, Pinillos spent 19 years at Danone, where he combined general manager and marketing roles, working across 10 countries including Mexico, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, the U.S. and the U.K.
Across the three regions under Pinillos’ charge will be brands such as Pedigree, Snickers and Maltesers.
Pinillos described Mars Wrigley as “an organization which already has such a strong marketing legacy, beloved portfolio of household brands and reputation for being driven by a core set of business principles.”
He added that he felt it was a great time to “continue driving the industry-leading marketing strategy across the brand portfolio.”
The role was previously held by Matt Graham, who has taken on a new position at Mars Wrigley as its global vp of marketing for food and nutrition. Graham has been with the company for nearly 22 years, holding a number of positions in the U.K. and Australia.
Marc Carena, regional president for Mars Wrigley, described Pinillos as “a hugely welcome addition to the regional team.”
Carena added: “He brings with him extensive marketing and industry experience, insights from across international markets and a proven record of delivering commercial excellence. As our marketing strategy and presence continues to build across the region, I am confident that we are in good hands with Alejandro’s innovative approach and fresh mindset.”
