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Dive Overview:
- Kraft Heinz said in a statement that it has hired Marlene Clayton as chief sales officer for its U.S. retail division. I officially joined the company in June.
- Clayton She joins Kraft Heinz from Hershey, where she most recently served as chief sales officer, and previously worked for other CPG giants including P&G, Kraft Foods and Unilever.
- The hire comes as Kraft Heinz is aggressively stepping up its innovation efforts: The maker of Oscar Mayer and Crystal Light brands aims to increase net sales by $2 billion by 2027.
Dive Insights:
Clayton’s more than 20 years of experience in the CPG industry make him a natural fit for Kraft Heinz, as he is responsible for leading the company’s U.S. sales force and “leveraging brand advantage and innovation to drive customer and channel growth.”
Kraft Heinz described Clayton as a “transformation leader,” noting her work at Hershey’s to help boost sales for the candy and snack maker. The company is increasing revenue while freeing up its sales team to spend more time interacting with customers. Her role will be even more important now as inflation leads consumers to cut spending and companies across the food industry cut product volumes.
Kraft Heinz made some executive changes last year, in some cases moving roles to other CPG companies. This summer, the company Former Pepsi marketer Todd Kaplan is now chief marketing officer for the company’s North American operations, and this year Carlos Abrams Rivera was named CEO of the company that makes Philadelphia, Jell-O and Capri Sun.
