Mars Food taps PepsiCo's Rafael Narvaez for top marketing job

Mars Food has appointed Rafael Narvaez as chief marketing and R&D officer, filling a vacancy left in August 2019 when Clarence Mak moved to the role of president, Mars Wrigley China.

Narvaez joins from PepsiCo, where he was vice-president, marketing and transformation, global foods group, leading the growth agenda for Lays (the equivalent to the UK’s Walkers in most markets), Doritos and Cheetos. 

Joining PepsiCo in 1998 in Germany, Narvaez later held roles in Italy and Switzerland before moving to New York in 2016 to become global vice-president. 

He is relocating to London for his new role at Mars, where he will be responsible for driving growth for brands including Uncle Ben’s, Dolmio and Seeds of Change.

Fiona Dawson, global president, multisales and global customers, at Mars Food, said: "Rafael has a track record of delivering strong growth and brings a wealth of knowledge about the food industry. I am delighted that he will bring his bold thinking, leadership and rigorous focus to Mars Food so we can help billions of consumers around the world enjoy healthier food at the dinner table."

Narvaez commented that he was "passionate about [Mars’s] purpose and value-driven culture".