Irina Rodina joins Bacardi, the world's largest privately held spirits company, as senior vice president of marketing strategy and operations.
Former Kraft Heinz Nordic CMO Irina Rodina has joined spirits business Bacardi in a global role as senior vice president of marketing strategy and operations.
Bacardi is the world's largest privately held spirits company. As well as its namesake Bacardi, it also owns other brands such as Martini, Gray Goose and Patrón. Bacardi itself is his brand his second best selling rum in the world.
Rodina said he will be responsible for “strategic alignment and driving marketing transformation” across all areas, including media partnerships, data and analytics, and innovation.
She will collaborate with and support global, regional and local teams in this mission.
According to a LinkedIn post about her new role, Rodina praised the private company's “entrepreneurial culture” and encouraged marketers to “do what they do best: create moments that matter.” He said he aims to help.
She will report to Bacardi's top marketer and global CMO Ned Duggan, who assumed the role at the end of 2022. In her post on LinkedIn, Rodina thanked Duggan for the “trust” he has placed in her as she begins her new role.
Rodina will join the company in 2022 after spending just under two years at Kraft Heinz.
Heinz talks about building an 'iconic' brand that goes 'beyond ketchup'
During his tenure, Rodina oversaw the launch of Heinz's first global brand platform, “It has to be Heinz,” which was Heinz's largest media investment to date. The Northern Europe zone includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Northern Europe.
She also oversaw the innovation of pasta sauces, including a memorable collaboration with vodka brand Absolut, with the overarching goal of taking the brand “beyond ketchup.”
She was named one of Marketing Week's Top 100 Most Effective Marketers in 2023 for her leadership and accomplishments at Kraft Heinz.
Prior to joining Heinz, Rodina worked at Barilla, the world's largest pasta brand, most recently serving as Global Vice President of Marketing for New Business Model Innovations.
Prior to that, she spent nearly 20 years at Unilever, starting as a trainee and eventually working her way up to senior global marketing director for the transformation.
She was a 2023 Fellow of the Marketing Academy.
