5 December 2019 - Deborah Wilkes
RB has created the new position of chief transformation officer and Unilever has appointed its first-ever chief digital and marketing officer, while the US Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) has added to its senior management team and Navamedic has a new chief financial officer.
RB creates new transformation role
RB has recruited PepsiCo’s Kris Licht to fill the newly-created position of chief transformation officer. He will be a member of the company’s executive committee.
Licht was most recently division president for PepsiCo Beverages North America. Prior to that, he led the North East Division of PepsiCo Beverages North America and was responsible for commercial transformation for PepsiCo Beverages North America.
RB said Licht would help create and implement a roadmap for its strategy and portfolio as well as support the transformation of its execution capabilities.
The company’s new chief executive officer Laxman Narasimhan, who joined from PepsiCo, said recently that RB had “taken its eye off the ball on execution”. He added that “much needs to be done with urgency to improve execution overall” (click here to read the News story).
RB’s executive committee has another new member in addition to Licht. Harold van den Broek has been promoted to chief operating officer of the Hygiene Home business following the departure of Rob de Groot, president of the business.
Unilever aims to be future-fit and fully-digitised
Unilever has chosen Conny Braams to take up the newly-created role of chief digital and marketing officer with effect from 1 January 2020. Braams is currently executive vice president for Unilever Middle Europe.
Alan Jope, Unilever’s chief executive officer, said Braams was one of the company’s “most successful and talented leaders”. “Her experience will be critical to the transformation of Unilever into a future-fit, fully-digitised organisation at the leading edge of consumer marketing,” commented Jope.
Braams joined Unilever in 1990 and has held a variety of marketing and general management roles in Europe and Asia.
The Anglo-Dutch company has also appointed a new president for Unilever North America. Fabian Garcia – former president and chief executive officer of cosmetics and personal care company Revlon – will replace Amanda Sourry, who has decided to retire after 30 years with the company. Garcia will join Unilever on 1 January 2020.
US CHPA hires Allgaier
The US CHPA has hired Beth Allgaier as senior vice president, business development and industry relations with effect from 6 January 2020.
Allgaier will join the CHPA from the Melanoma Research Foundation where she is director of corporate relations. She has also worked for the Society of Interventional Radiology as well as GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi.
At the CHPA, Allgaier will be responsible for the industry association’s membership, education and meetings functions, and will be chief liaison to the retail community.
She will be a member of the CHPA’s senior management team, reporting directly to president and chief executive officer Scott Melville.
Navamedic has new finance chief
Navamedic has appointed Lars Hjarrand as chief financial officer with effect from 9 December 2019. He replaces Toril Marie Ås who is leaving the Norwegian company.
Hjarrand was previously chief financial officer of Lowell Nordics.
Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, chief executive officer of Navamedic, said Hjarrand had extensive financial and acquisitions experience. “He will play a key role on our journey of building a leading Nordic pharma company,” she added.
Navamedic reported sales of NOK48.8 million (USD5.35 million) in the third quarter of 2019, representing a rise of 10.2% compared to the same period a year earlier.