Expert Details
CPG Marketing: Growth, Acquisition Integration, and Brand Repositioning
ID: 740005
California, USA
Expert holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where he was President of the Student Body and a member of the Graduate Marketing Association. He also holds a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine. Expert is fluent in Spanish, and has been recognized for his ability to drive growth, integrate acquisitions, and reposition brands effectively, making him a highly sought-after marketing leader and change agent. Furthermore, his board memberships and engagements with organizations like the Association of National Advertisers, Produce for Better Health, and The CMO Club further underscore his commitment to advancing the field of marketing.
In his most recent role as the Head of Marketing for Sun-Maid Growers of California, Expert led the integration of Plum Organics Baby Food’s marketing function within 90 days and transformed the marketing strategy to target millennial moms, resulting in over 1 billion earned media impressions and industry-leading ROI. He also achieved significant brand repositioning and growth, including 9% for Don Francisco’s Coffee and 6% share growth for Sun-Maid.
Prior to that, Expert was the Head of Worldwide Customer Marketing at Apple’s Beats by Dre division. In this role, he revamped the worldwide customer marketing strategy, shifting from in-store to omnichannel, which led to a 5% increase in customer marketing ROI.
As Vice President of Marketing for Deoleo S.A., Expert drove the rebranding and marketing efforts for Bertolli, Carapelli, and Carbonel, achieving 5% ROI growth and 25% engagement growth for Bertolli and Carapelli through innovative social strategies.
During his tenure at Sensis Agency, Expert launched and led an interim-CMO practice, transforming marketing functions for mid-size clients across various sectors, including legal publishing, food and beverage, spirits, and healthcare. Here, his leadership resulted in increased conversion rates, brand growth, and market penetration for clients like CEB, Tadin Tea, Jr Revelry Bourbon, and MLK Community Hospital.
At F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc., Expert was instrumental in driving brand distinction and transforming the marketing function for a portfolio of coffee brands, leading to significant growth in sales and market presence.
Expert's early career included brand management roles at ConAgra Foods and Kraft Heinz, where he honed my skills in brand positioning and market strategy.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2002 | Degree: MBA | Subject: Marketing and Finance | Institution: University of Southern California Marshall School of Business |
| Year: 1997 | Degree: BS | Subject: Cognitive Science | Institution: University of California, Irvine |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2020 to 2023 | Employer: Sun-Maid Growers of California | Title: Head of Marketing | Department: Sun-Maid Brand, Plum Organics Brand, Innovation, and Commercialization |
Responsibilities:- Directly reported to CEO.- Developed 13- person team, 30+ person integrated agency teams, and ~$25MM+ budget. - Led 80% of organization’s profit. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2019 to 2020 | Employer: Apple, Beats by Dre | Title: Head of Worldwide Customer Marketing | Department: |
Responsibilities:- Recruited to reimagine Beats’ worldwide customer marketing from in-store dependent to omnichannel.- New strategy invigorated customer experience through fixture innovation, improved e-commerce experience, category-leading multimedia in-store content, and bespoke customer activation. - New strategy drove increase customer marketing ROI 5%. - Led 12+ person worldwide team in Japan, Australia, China, Europe, and United States via ~$50MM customer marketing budget. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2019 | Employer: Deoleo SA | Title: Vice President of Marketing, North America | Department: |
Responsibilities:- Selected by North American CEO to lead marketing for Deoleo S.A.’s most profitable business and de-commoditize it’s brands through equity building activation.- Led Bertolli’s, Carapelli’s, and Carbonel’s olive oil brands brand relaunches. - Revamped marketing activation which drove 5% ROI growth and Bertolli’s category-leading brand health metrics. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2013 to 2017 | Employer: Sensis Agency | Title: Head of CMO Practice | Department: |
Responsibilities:- Recruited by the agency's President to launch, lead, and execute an interim-CMO practice servicing mid-size clients.- Practice’s revenue ranked top 10% for agency. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2006 to 2013 | Employer: F. Gavina & Sons, Inc. | Title: Vice President, Marketing | Department: Grocery Division, Membership Channel, Online Channel |
Responsibilities:- Chosen by owner to drive brand distinction and transform the marketing function to win in the competitive coffee category.- Lead multicultural marketer and head of retail sales for portfolio of brands consisting of Don Francisco’s, Café La Llave Espresso, Jose’s, and Gaviña Foodservice. - Expanded leadership for 2 additional divisions beyond grocery: Food Service (B2B) and Club Channel. - Drove portfolio 9%+ and company’s #1 brand +15%. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2004 to 2006 | Employer: Conagra Foods | Title: Brand Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:Led the SnackPack $250MM business. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2002 to 2004 | Employer: Kraft-Heinz | Title: Senior Associate Brand Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:Led the $500MM Tombstone, Jack's, California Pizza Kitchen portfolio. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Conference Host, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Brand Master, 202X Executive Committee, Produce for Better Health Member, National Advertising Review Board Member, The CMO Club Speaker, Creativity Conference ANA, 202X |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| 2x Gold Reggie Winner, Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Raisin House Super Reggie Judge, ANA |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Native |
Fields of Expertise
account-based marketing, brand consulting, brand architecture, brand extension licensing, brand identity, brand market research, brand marketing, brand partnerships, brand positioning, brand repositioning, brand storytelling, brand strategy, brand valuation, branding, Branding & Corporate ID, competitive brand analysis, marketing brand management, Mature Branded Products, online branding, rebranding, strategic branding, visual branding, communication, Communication and Relationship Management, general management, business leadership, Commercial Leadership, executive leadership, lead acquisition, corporate leadership, Effective Leadership Skills, leadership development, leadership training, senior leadership, Team Leadership, leadership, activation analysis, action analysis, activity analysis, analysis, business innovation, Disruptive Innovation, dynamic innovation, food innovation, innovation, innovation & strategy, innovation training, packaging innovation, product innovation, product innovation strategy, strategic innovation, Structured Innovation, simple innovation process to solve system problems, business strategy, business strategy review, Commercial and Strategy Functions, content strategy, corporate strategy, digital strategy, Digital Transformation Strategy, e-business strategy, email strategy, go-to-market strategy, long-term growth strategy, market entry strategy, marketing strategy, organization strategy, Project Management Strategy, recruitment strategy, strategy, strategy development, strategy formulation, strategy implementation processes, strategy marketing, market positioning, product positioning