Ferrero USA Inc., part of the global confectionery company Ferrero Group, announced that Michael Zacharias has joined the organisation as Vice President, Trade Marketing and Category Management, U.S.A.
In this new role, Zacharias will lead trade marketing, category management and shopper marketing for Ferrero’s portfolio, which includes Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac, Ferrero Rocher, Crunch, Baby Ruth and Butterfinger.
Zacharias will report to James Klein, Ferrero Chief Customer Officer, Ferrero USA.
“Michael’s deep experience in the food and beverage industry, his extensive market management and his strategic planning experience expertise will be valuable assets to Ferrero and help drive the continued growth of our brand portfolio,” said Klein.
Zacharias joins Ferrero from American brewing company Anheuser-Busch, where he spent the entirety of his career. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Sales for the company’s northeast region. In his role, he was responsible for the full profit & loss centre of the Northeast Business Unit, including strategic planning, human resources, sales and marketing, business development and customer satisfaction.
Throughout his tenure with the company, Zacharias has held other corporate leadership positions, including stints as Vice President of Trade Marketing and Group Director of Revenue Management.
“I’m honoured to join the ranks and build upon an impressive legacy of product excellence and commercial integrity that has sustained the company for decades,” said Zacharias, who will be based in Parsippany, N.J.
Zacharias holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Valparaiso University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University.
For over 70 years, Ferrero has been creating products loved by generations. The company is proud to be family-owned with 3,000 employees in seven offices and eight plants and warehouses in North America.
