Campbell Soup Co. announced the appointment of Charles Nevin as chief customer officer of Meals & Beverages, effective Nov. 29. Nevin succeeds Michael Pierson, who was promoted from senior vice president, sales, Meals & Beverages, to chief customer officer of the Snacks division in August.
Nevin will lead the U.S. retail sales efforts for Campbell’s soups, sauces and beverages business and report to Chris Foley, president, Meals & Beverages.
With more than 30 years working in retail and consumer products, Nevin brings rich food experience from roles at Nabisco, Kraft Foods and Hillshire Brands.
Prior to joining Campbell, Nevin was at Family Dollar, where he served as merchandising senior vice president/general merchandise manager for four years. Before that, he led merchandising for nonperishable products at the Fresh Market. He previously worked at Campbell from 2005-2012 in both sales and marketing roles, including leading customer teams for Albertsons and Walmart, in addition to serving as business director on Chunky soup.
“Our focus in Meals & Beverages is on driving growth with our category leading brands as we revitalize the center of the store with a new generation of consumers,” Foley said. “Charley’s extensive retail and food industry experience are invaluable as we continue to innovate, partner with our customers and unlock our full growth potential as a division and as a company.”
Pierson, who had been leading both sales organizations on an interim basis, has been with Campbell since 2019. In this new role, Pierson leads the company’s U.S. Snacks sales teams, as well as the company’s Latin America and Global Exports businesses. The Snacks business includes a unique and differentiated portfolio, with brands such as Goldfish crackers, Snyder’s of Hanover pretzels, Late July tortilla chips, Kettle Brand potato chips, Cape Cod potato chips, Milano cookies, Pepperidge Farm cookies and bread, Lance crackers and more. He reports to Valerie Oswalt, president, Campbell Snacks.
“Mike has advanced our customer partnerships during his time at Campbell and helped us navigate an extremely dynamic operating environment,” Oswalt said. “Mike’s strong engagement with our retailers combined with his expertise in our unique go-to-market approach in Snacks will continue to fuel our growth.”
Pierson joined Campbell from Materne North America, where he had served as chief customer officer for two years. He previously was a partner and senior vice president of sales with Hello Delicious Brands. Prior to that role, he spent more than a decade in sales leadership and strategy roles with PepsiCo, and nearly eight years as a sales director with Acosta Sales and Marketing. He had served as vice president of sales strategy and trade marketing with Pepperidge Farm from 2013-2015.
