Jennifer Saenz, an industry veteran with more than 15 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods sector, will join Albertsons as its new executive vice president, chief merchandising officer. Her appointment will be effective July 12.
According to Albertsons, Saenz will be responsible for all merchandising areas within the company, including Own Brands. She will also be responsible for further strengthening the Company’s relationships with its brand partners.
Saenz will join the company’s senior leadership team and report to Vivek Sankaran, president, and Chief Executive Officer.
“We’re excited to welcome Jennifer to the Albertsons team,” said Sankaran. “A commitment to serving our customers with a broad and differentiated assortment of products is a key aspect of our transformation strategy. Jennifer’s extensive global industry experience and proven track record of driving growth through marketing, analytics, and product innovation, grounded in a deep understanding of the consumer, will allow her to make significant contributions to our business and elevate the Albertsons brand for our customers, brand partners, and associates.”
Saenz, 43, has vast experience in the consumer-packaged goods sector, holding roles of increasing responsibility within PepsiCo since 2005.
Since 2019, Saenz has served as Global Chief Marketing Officer and President, Global Foods, responsible for the $30 billion PepsiCo Foods portfolio.
From 2015 to 2019, Saenz served as SVP & Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Foods North America, where she accelerated growth and drove innovation for the $16 billion snacking portfolios. From 2009 to 2015, she held several brand and customer marketing positions within Frito-Lay.
“I am honored to join Albertsons and to work with Vivek and the Company’s talented management team,” said Saenz. “Albertsons is undertaking a transformation that is further strengthening its position as an industry leader focused on deepening its relationship with customers. I am excited to leverage my experience and partner with our vendors to continue providing great products and great value to our customers.”
Saenz graduated from The Goizueta School of Business at Emory University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Saenz has been recognized for her professional accomplishments through many awards, including Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2018, Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Marketing in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and AdWeek’s Brand Genius Award in 2017.