Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has poached Coca Cola's top marketer in North America, Alison Lewis, to become the pharmaceutical giant's first global chief marketing officer for its consumer business.
Lewis is currently seeing out her role as vice president strategic marketing at Coca-Cola North America, which she is expected to leave at the end of the month.
In her new role at J&J, Lewis is oversee four global franchises at the consumer division: consumer health and nutritionals; beauty; baby care; and over the counter drugs, as well as a new marketing services function for the group.
Global corporate marketers Michael Sneed and Kim Kadlec, the vice presidents for global corporate affairs and vice president global marketing group respectively, will be unaffected by Lewis’s appointment.
Lewis will report directly to J&J worldwide chairman Lynn Prendergrass, and oversee brands such as Neutrogena, Aveeno, Listerine and Johnson’s baby products, in her division.
Sandra Pound, a J&J spokesperson, said: "We’re looking to catalyse our global growth strategy for our consumer business and the CMO role, and Lewis in that role, will allow us to better anticipate our consumers’ needs and look for solutions."
In 2011 J&J overhauled the structure of its consumer business to streamline the division and give more authority to regional market heads.
The article first appeared on www.marketingmagazine.co.uk
