Dunkin’ has promoted Jillian McVicar Nelson to chief marketing officer, the company said this week.
Nelson succeeds Rafael Acevedo, who left in March as chief marketing officer at Dunkin’, a division of Atlanta-based Inspire Brands.
“Jill’s intricate knowledge of the Dunkin’ business and understanding of product trends and consumer behaviors will help us continue to define the brand’s future growth strategy,” said Scott Murphy, president of Dunkin’, in a statement.
Nelson will report to Murphy and be involved in advertising, brand marketing, field marketing, strategic planning, product innovation, commercialization and digital marketing, the company said.
Nelson joined Dunkin’ in 2011 and has experience across multiple functions, including finance, pricing, strategy and marketing. She was a principal architect of the Dunkin’ U.S. five-year strategic plan — the Blueprint for Growth — which has been the foundation of the business since 2017.
Most recently, Nelson served as vice president of marketing strategy and spearheaded the brand’s innovation strategy to attract the next generation of guests through iced beverages and diverse food offerings.
Under her leadership, Dunkin’ launched food and beverage platforms like Dunkin’ Refreshers, cold brew with cold foam, avocado toast and snacking.
Nelson began her career in public-sector consulting with IBM Global Business Services.
Dunkin’, founded in 1950, has more than 12,600 franchised restaurants in 40 countries. The brand is a division of Inspire, which is majority-owned by affiliates of Roark Capital
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