Chuck Gitkin has been named as Cargill’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of North America Protein Business.
"I look forward to joining a strong management team at Cargill and building on the work they have begun over the past year to transform the business and establish strong momentum and growth," stated Gitkin, according to a press release. "I am excited by the entire organization's high level of enthusiasm, creativity and energy. This business has strong capabilities and leadership positions in key protein categories, which we intend to leverage to win with customers, consumers, and the community.”
Gitkin is a veteran of both the meat and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries, with more than 25 years of experience in leadership, marketing, retails, and consumer insights. Having previously served Senior VP of Brands and Marketing for international pork products company Smithfield Foods, as well as working with companies like McCain Foods, Unilever, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Philip Morris, the company expressed confidence in Gitkin’s ability to fulfill this new position and as a member of the Cargill Protein Group's leadership team.
"The protein marketplace is swiftly evolving, highly competitive and we're seeing global demand continuing to increase," said Brian Sikes, Corporate Vice President for Cargill's protein group. "With strong professional credentials and a business background that makes him a great fit on our team, Chuck became the clear choice to lead our marketing transformation and implement our customer-centric and unified approach for promoting our protein portfolio. It's critical to have the right person leading this go-to-market transformation, someone who has a laser-like focus on our customers' channels and can ensure they are supported with a wealth of deep consumer insights and innovation to help them grow both their business and ours."
Gitkin’s new realm, the company’s North America protein business, includes fresh, frozen, and cooked meats, sauces, soups, case-ready products, and more.
“I believe that Cargill is uniquely positioned to support our customers in achieving superior growth and to delight consumers with products that exceed their expectations for taste, nutrition, and convenience,” Gitkin said. “I look forward to working with a very talented group of people in achieving business excellence, innovating and growing, while continuously delighting all of our important stakeholders. We will redefine Cargill protein's go-to-market capabilities for long-term growth, driving innovation, and establishing Cargill protein as the leading marketer in the industry.”
The new executive’s position goes into effect later this month, September 19th.