Tyson Foods has hired away the chief North America marketing officer of Coca-Cola Co. to be its first-ever chief growth officer.
Melanie Boulden will fill the newly created role of executive VP/chief growth officer effective Feb. 6, reporting directly to CEO Donnie King. Boulden has worked with Coca-Cola since August 2019, starting as president and general manager for venturing and emerging brands and becoming CMO for North America in January 2021. She has also served as senior director of strategy for the beverage unit of what was then Kraft Foods, and has held marketing positions with Reebok and Crayola.
In her new job, Boulden will be a member of Tyson’s Enterprise Leadership Team. She will oversee functions including consumer and corporate branding, innovation, R&D, communications, and consumer insights and analytics.
“Melanie is an exceptional talent and a proven leader in growing global household brand businesses. She has the creative, operational, and financial experience to drive value creation across Tyson Foods’ brand portfolio,” King said in a statement.