Coca-Cola has appointed Úrsula Mejía Melgar as the new Vice President of Marketing for Spain and Portugal, as we have been able to confirm since reason.Why. It is a position from which he will assume the strategic management of the company’s brands in Iberia and will report directly to Pedro Massa, General Manager of Coca-Cola for both countries.
Her incorporation opens a new stage for the company’s Marketing area after Carolina Aransay announced last June her departure from Coca-Cola after more than 17 years. Aransay has been serving as Marketing Director for Spain and Portugal since 2021.
He comes to Coca-Cola with 25 years of professional experience in multinational consumer companies
Mejía comes to Coca-Cola with 25 years of professional experience in multinational consumer goods companies and experience developed in markets in Latin America, North America and Europe. From his new responsibility, he will focus his management on four axes: leading business growth, accelerating digital transformation, promoting product innovation and enhancing talent and organizational culture by consolidating teams.
From Diageo to Coca-Cola after an international career
Úrsula Mejía’s most recent professional stage has been linked to Diageo, where she has held responsibilities in Strategy, Marketing and Innovation, first for Southern Europe and later from the United Kingdom. During this period, as highlighted by Coca-Cola in a statement to which we have had access since reason.WhyMejía has led initiatives related to digital acceleration, the development of new product categories and gender parity within the advertising industry. Among the latter is “Una de Dos”, an initiative aimed at promoting a greater female presence in creative leadership positions.
His career at Diageo has also been linked to some of the most recognized J&B campaigns in Spain. In 2022, reason.Why spoke with Mejía about “She”, the Christmas advertisement developed together with El Ruso de Rocky and which won the Grand National Creativity Award, after the brand had also worked on the territory of inclusion with “There is desire for town pride”.
“Brand positions are long-term bets. If not, you wouldn’t be being honest,” Mejía then explained to reason.Why by addressing J&B’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.
In that conversation he also defended a conception of marketing that transcended advertising, communication and brand management. “It is something much more strategic and influences long-term decisions. It influences pricing strategies and sometimes even the company’s commercial strategy”he pointed out.
Before joining Diageo, Mejía held international responsibilities at Nestlé, AM FRESH Group and Mondelēz International. In the latter, she served as Marketing Director for Southern Europe and Category Vice President for Western Europe. During his first professional years, between 1998 and 2010, he also worked for multinationals such as Procter & Gamble, America Online and General Mills.
A new stage for Coca-Cola Marketing in Iberia
Mejía’s arrival occurs three months after Carolina Aransay put an end to one of the longest careers within the Coca-Cola Marketing area in Iberia. Aransay started at the company in 2008 as Brand Manager of juices and new categories and subsequently assumed responsibilities for Aquarius, innovation and Coca-Cola Trademark, before serving as Marketing Portfolio & Channel Activation Director. In March 2021, he assumed the Marketing Directorship for Spain and Portugal, a responsibility he maintained until his departure in June of this year.
Coca-Cola seeks to reinforce its relevance in Spain and Portugal with the appointment
Coca-Cola points out that with the appointment of Úrsula Mejía it seeks to reinforce the relevance of its brands in Spain and Portugal through a strategy focused on innovation, sustainability and the positive impact on consumers.
The new Vice President of Marketing for Iberia is a Food Engineer from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and has a master’s degree in Branding and Advertising from The Minneapolis School of Advertisement, as well as executive training in sustainable corporations from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
His incorporation thus places a profile with experience in both brand building and communication as well as innovation, category transformation and business growth at the forefront of Coca-Cola’s Iberian marketing.
