Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., a grower-owned cooperative, has appointed Thano Chaltas to the newly created role of global chief marketing officer. Chaltas will be responsible for global brand development and will be part of the cooperative leadership team. He will report directly to Ken Romanzi, SVP and COO of Ocean Spray Brands.
“As the world’s leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries, and the best-selling brand in the bottled juice category, Ocean Spray is creating the Global CMO position to further leverage our great brands, talent and innovation in order to drive global business growth,” said Randy Papadellis, president and CEO of Ocean Spray. “Thano has more than 20 years of progressive marketing experience with Kraft, WellPet and UST, and I’m confident he will bring strong marketing, strategy and management expertise to the cooperative.”
Prior to his appointment at Ocean Spray, Chaltas served as CMO at WellPet LLC, a producer and marketer of premium, natural food for pets. Chaltas was responsible for all aspects of marketing, including brand management, new product innovation, marketing research, marketing services and consumer affairs. He successfully drove record revenue and growing market share across all brands; led the creation of new products that were a significant contributor to growth by implementing a rigorous stage and gate new product development process; launched the company’s first ever national advertising campaign; and developed new brands in partnership with Target stores. In addition to his marketing responsibilities, he also served as interim head of sales and led a staff of about 70 sales people and 21 marketers.
Chaltas also spent 13 years at Kraft Foods Group Inc. in roles with increasing brand and customer marketing responsibilities across several divisions, including beverage, snacks, coffee and cereal. He worked on alliances with top media and sports properties and managed brands like Post, Kool-Aid and Maxwell House.
“I look forward to working with the iconic grower-owned cooperative and its portfolio of great-tasting, good-for-you products,” said Chaltas. “I plan to utilize my knowledge and experience to grow Ocean Spray’s global brand presence, deliver innovative new products that are consistent with today’s consumer lifestyles and attract new loyal customers across the country and the world.”
Chaltas earned an undergraduate degree from Brown University and an MBA in marketing, finance and organizational behavior from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
