Carolina Villarreal

Helping shape the future of emerging food and beverage businesses via marketing and business services to propel sales.

• Founded brand management services venture, built and negotiated a network of cross-functional freelance experts, creating a flexible business model that brings the right expertise at the right time to solve specific challenges.
• Joined the International Dairy, Deli and Bakery Association 2019 expo as a Marketing expert. Answering individual questions about marketing and business issues, and discussing with 10 business owners solutions to their challenges.
• Became a council member for Gerson Lehrman Group, Alphasights, Guidepoint and Wiper Agency, advising on multiple on-going services and consumer projects.
• Landed a $250K on-going project for a small family business, creating the business and marketing strategy for a retail experience, and leading the development and commercialization path.

Global privately held produce company with revenue of $2.9B, 18,000 employees and present in 70 countries. Recruited to lead brand re-launch, influence company reputation and develop new ventures for $1B North American market.

• Spearheaded development of new positioning and strategic brand identity, and debuted always-on new brand voice. Award-winning “We are Bananas" campaign doubled topline sales versus total category (+5.2% vs. +3.8%), and reverted declining category trend YOY.
• Led development and execution of idea-driven, award-winning “Banana Sun Cometh” via transmedia storytelling resulting in sextupled media value and delivering 317M+ earned impressions with $2M marketing spend.
• Built PR and ever present, integrated content calendars to influence company’s reputation that resulted in gold standard for the company, and earned recognition industry-wise. Achieved 47% share of voice leadership with 63% positive sentiment in 6 months.
• Deployed always-on programs via influencers to maintain brand excitement after significant budget cutbacks, reducing CPM by 60% YOY while keeping engagement rates at ~5%.
  

Appointed to lead newly created divisional organization to boost growth of global strategic pillars, primarily in Mexico and Brazil with $81MM in revenue.

• Led and developed team of 2 Regional Managers and influenced a team of 5 Country Directors and Brand Managers, growing revenue +6% and margins +12.5% YOY for Betty Crocker and for Häagen-Dazs in grocery stores and in 88 company owned and franchised shops across Latin America.
• Led cross-functional team to turn around Betty Crocker in Brazil by successfully localizing the global formula, optimizing portfolio and redefining strategic go-to-market, resulting in gross margin surge from -21% to +2.6% in 6 months.
• Developed Betty Crocker’s 3-year innovation pipeline using agile Stage-Gate Model and jobs-to-done to generate 10% of revenue, doubling prior benchmark.
• Established social media strategy and content creation, and designed regional process saving -50% non-working dollars via agency bidding and content optimization.

• Led 3 business units with brands including: Cheerios, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Betty Crocker, Yoplait and Häagen-Dazs; generated +12% revenue growth in partnership with sales via best in class execution of programs and new product launches.
• Developed high performing marketing organization after a re-structuring; recruiting and overseeing succession planning and leading a team of 5 in addition to motivating an extended team of 20 Country Brand Managers.
• Led internal teams and agencies of record, creating and implementing award-winning campaigns for Nature Valley and Yoplait that drove significant gains in market share, positioning the brands to top 2 in the marketplace.
• Led portfolio and creative optimization and negotiated agencies’ retainers generating $1M increase in profit.
• Orchestrated the development of cross-functional annual business plans that consistently surpassed double digit revenue goals, and developed long-range plans that informed divisional strategic portfolio prioritization.

Promoted to pioneer and lead divisional development and implementation of brand strategy and marketing plan, innovation pipeline and long-range plan of recently launched Nature Valley in Latin America with $39M in revenue.

• Honored with Championship Brands Award for leadership in propelling brand growth by +33% YOY.
• Partnered with Global Snacks Strategic Business Unit to create 3-year innovation pipeline. Recognized for outstanding contribution to International Wholesome snacks business via execution of city takeover experimentations, and leading first global platform development representing LATAM.

Became first relocated marketer in the Latin American division at General Mills International.

• Developed and executed marketing strategies for $40M portfolio, 13 brands, and network of 36 Distributors in Caribbean region managing 2 Brand Associates with influence on 20 Country Brand Managers.
• Created breakthrough consumer-driven campaign to launch Yoplait Light product line in #1 market in region, growing company’s revenue by +43% and distributor’s sell-out by +24% during campaign period.

Post grade degree as defined in Argentina

Earned a scholarship from Citibank. After graduating, served as professor assistant for the subject “Commercial Management”, which focused on business strategy and marketing.University degree as of Argentina's denomination: Marketing (Licenciatura en comercialización).