Effective Sept. 1, Alanna Cotton will assume the role of president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, replacing Todd Siwak, who has decided to return to private equity and is stepping down from his role, according to a Thursday statement from the Parsippany-based company.
Cotton will be responsible for Ferrero’s business in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean, building upon its growing footprint and capabilities for iconic brands like Kinder, Butterfinger, Nutella and Tic Tac, and cookie favorites such as Keebler, Famous Amos and Mother’s.
Cotton will report directly to Lapo Civiletti, CEO of Ferrero Group.
Cotton joins Ferrero most recently from the Coca-Cola Co., where she was president of operations for Central & Eastern Europe, serving as general manager for 26 diverse countries and over 150 brands. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president and general manager at Samsung Electronics America, where she led the high-growth segments of the consumer technology markets, including personal computing, virtual reality, wearables and mobile audio. She has also held executive positions at PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble, where she can be credited with leading large-scale businesses and driving innovation and digital transformation across the organizations.
“I’m excited to join Ferrero North America and lead this incredible team and portfolio of beloved brands on its continued growth trajectory,” Cotton stated. “The company’s global presence and rapid expansion on the continent is impressive and I’m thrilled to help move the business forward in this new chapter.”
