This week’s executive shifts include Wendy’s promoting the company’s CMO and new chief marketing officers for Groupon, Tourism Australia, Tom’s Urban, SoFi and Hims.
Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.
Wendy’s Promotes Chief Marketing Officer To President
Wendy’s elevated Kurt A. Kane’s position from EVP, chief concept and marketing officer to president of the US market and chief commercial officer.
Kane has been with Wendy’s since 2015 and prior to that spent almost seven years at Pizza Hut, starting as VP, brand marketing and working his way up to global chief marketing officer.
Kane’s promotion was announced in Wendy’s Q1 financial results. The press release stated, “In this new role, Kurt will assume responsibilities for the entire U.S. business, including operations, marketing, and R&D. He will also continue to lead our Digital Experience organization.”
Apple Marketer Joins Endeavour
Apple’s global head of content and lifestyle strategy, Justina Omokhua, will be trading silicon valley for Beverly Hills, having accepted a position at Endeavour. Omokhua will be Endeavour’s SVP brand marketing.
Omokhua joined Apple in 2015 after many years in marketing and product strategy at Verizon, Nokia, PepsiCo and Carat USA.
Calvin Klein Parent Company Announces First Ever Global Chief Digital Officer
PVH—the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and IZOD—announced Marie Gulin-Merle will add the title of global chief digital officer on top of her current role as Calvin Klein’s chief marketing officer.
“The world becomes increasingly more technology dependent and the retail landscape continues to change, making the role of CDO more important than ever to our business success,” said PVH chief operating and financial officer Mike Shaffer in a statement. “We believe this newly created role will fuel our transformation, enable us to react strategically to new disruptions and position PVH as a leader while building competitive advantages.”
Before joining PVH/Calvin Klein, Gulin-Merle was at L’Oreal for 16 years, most recently as chief marketing officer.
SoFi CMO To Step Down, Replacement Hired From Intuit
According to Fast Company, SoFi’s chief marketing officer, Joanna Bradford, will step down from her position at the end of May. Bradford has been with the company since 2015, starting as COO and stepping into the CMO role in 2017.
Fast Company reports Bradford will be replaced by Intuit VP of marketing, Lauren Stafford Webb. Webb also spent eight years at Procter & Gamble.
Hims Hires Former Lyft Marketing VP
Hims, a DTC prescription health care company, hired Melissa Waters as the company’s first chief marketing officer. Waters was previously vice president of marketing at Lyft. Prior to that she worked at Pandora for four years, where she was VP, brand and product marketing.
Hims CEO Andrew Dudum told Axios, “We’re mostly serving a young demographic of people who otherwise feel stigmatized, or are uncomfortable discussing their health needs. They need to feel that their relationship with us is comfortable and secure, and I can’t think of a consumer business that’s done it better than Lyft.”
Spence Diamonds Promotes CMO To CEO
Spence Diamonds, a lab-grown diamond company, has promoted Veeral Rathod from chief marketing officer to chief executive officer. Rathod has been with the company since 2018 and was hired from a company he co-founded, men’s retail brand J.Hilburn.
Groupon Appoints New Chief Marketing Officer
Groupon announced the appointment of Craig Rowley as the company’s newest chief marketing officer.
Rowley—who previously held positions at marketing agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Borders Perrin Norrander and Carmichael Lynch—was most recently VP of marketing at REI.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to help develop the next chapter of Groupon’s brand story as we build the daily habit in local commerce,” said Rowley in a statement. “Given Groupon’s scale, there is a huge opportunity for us to fuel a deeper brand connection with our millions of customers and merchants around the globe. I look forward to working with our talented teams to deliver a more compelling customer experience and to drive meaningful results for Groupon.”
Mattel Appoints Head Of American Girl Brand
Mattel appointed Jamie Cygielman the senior vice president and general manager of American Girl. Cygielman was previously the chief marketing officer of Iconxi Brand Group and before that, senior vice president of Jones Apparel Group. Cygielman worked at Mattel in the late ’90s as well, as vice president of worldwide Barbie marketing.
“American Girl is a beloved brand whose legacy of inspiring girls to develop a strong sense of character through creative play and imagination is more relevant than ever,” said Cygielman in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with Richard and the entire team to unlock the full potential of this storied brand.”
Tourism Australia Announces Chief Marketing Officer
Tourism Australia promoted Susan Coghill to the position of chief marketing officer. Coghill replaces Lisa Ronson. Coghill was previously a marketing consultant at Newscorp and head of marketing at Qantas.
“As an American who fell in love with Australia on my first visit as a holidaymaker and has now made it my home, this is a dream job. To say I’m thrilled is an understatement.” Coghill said in a statement. “This is an extremely exciting phase in our marketing journey at Tourism Australia. I’m blessed in having an amazingly talented team in place, strong and committed agency partners and a shared vision in how we tell our story and add value for our industry.
Kraft Heinz Chief Marketing Officer To Depart
Kraft Heinz chief marketing officer Eduardo Luz will leave the company at the end of May, according to CNBC. This news comes after the announcement that Kraft Heinz CEO Bernardo Hees would be stepping down from his post, to be replaced by former AB InBev chief marketing officer Miguel Patricio.
Luz has been with Kraft Heinz since 2013. Adam Butler will be taking over Luz’s responsibilities on an interim basis.
Tom’s Urban Hires Chief Marketing Officer
Tom’s Urban, a fast-casual restaurant based in Denver, hired Dan Hohm as the company’s chief marketing officer. Hohm was previously head of marketing at Carraba’s Mexican Grill.
Hohm started his marketing career at Outback Steakhouse before moving up to Outback’s parent company, Bloomin Brands.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Tom’s Urban team to build this brand and embark on an incredible growth journey,” said Hohm said in a statement. “It’s clear the market is ripe for a breakthrough eatertainment concept to emerge and I’m ecstatic to be joining the team at this exciting time.”
Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, May 10. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.
Job Vacancies
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| Vice President, Film Marketing | Warner Bros. | Burbank, CA |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Houlihan Lokey | Los Angeles, CA |
| VP, Investment Marketing | Prudential | Shelton, CT |
| Vice President of Marketing | sbe Entertainment Group | Los Angeles, CA |
| Chief Marketing Officer | New York University | New York, NY |
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