Mario García León, until now Head of Marketing of the Schweppes brand in Spain, has been appointed the new Marketing Director of Suntory Beverage & Food Iberia. He replaces Antonio Garrido, who held the position for the last six years until last March.
The appointment represents an internal promotion since García León has been part of the company for more than twelve years, during which time he has contributed to shaping the strategy and driving the growth of brands such as Schweppes, La Casera or TriNa.
Suntory highlights its strategic vision and consumer orientation
As the company points out in the statement, García León has played a relevant role in accelerating the growth of the portfolio in the Food channel. The manager is highlighted for his strategic vision, his strong consumer orientation and his ability to lead high-performance teams, and for his interest in transversal collaboration and transformation and innovation projects.
His mission in the new position will be to lead the company’s marketing strategy in Spain and Portugal and continue promoting the development and positioning of the group’s main brands, as well as reinforcing the role of marketing as a key lever for the business. In his new role, he will be part of the organization’s Steering Committee.
“After more than a decade in the company, I know in depth the potential of our brands and, above all, the enormous talent of our teams.“he commented in a statement.”My goal is to strengthen our connection with the consumer by actively listening to their expectations, habits and new forms of consumption, to develop innovative and relevant proposals that respond to market trends.”.
Mario García León has training in business administration and management, although he has developed most of his professional career linked to marketing and brand management positions. She began her career as a Marketing and Sales Assistant at the sportswear brand Chromat in the United Kingdom and continued to expand her experience as part of the British American Tobacco Iberia team, serving, among other things, as Brand Manager between 2011 and 2013.
At the end of 2013 he joined Suntory Beverage & Food Iberia as Senior Brand Manager of Trina, and later assumed the same position at Schweppes. He has also served as Marketing Manager of La Casera, Director of Trade Marketing or Head of Brand Marketing for the company’s portfolio. In the last stage he has performed the functions of Head of Marketing at Schweppes.
García León’s appointment takes place in a particularly prominent context for the company’s marketing, marked by great alliances and expansion into new categories. It should be noted that this year Suntory has promoted the agreements of Schweppes with Roland Garros and of La Casera with the Spanish Soccer Team.
Furthermore, in recent months the company has expanded its brand portfolio with the distribution in Iberia of Celsius and Dr Pepper in retail, as well as the collaboration with Starbucks to boost the coffee tonic in Spain.
