Ferrero North America names new president and chief business officer

Ferrero Group, a global sweet-packaged foods leader, has announced the appointment of Alanna Cotton as president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America. Cotton will be responsible for Ferrero's business in the US, 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, who takes on the role effective September 1, joins the company to support Ferrero’s global business strategy of strengthening its position in the sweet packaged food category. Ferrero North America, an important growth driver for the company, has experienced double digit growth and guided multiple brand turnarounds over the years.

The company is also expanding its capabilities in North America, with a new Innovation Center with R&D Lab in the US and a chocolate processing plant and Kinder Bueno line in Bloomington, Illinois. In addition, with support from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, Ferrero is creating new jobs and automation at its Brantford, Ontario plant.

Cotton joins Ferrero from The Coca-Cola Company where she was president of operations for Central and Eastern Europe, serving as general manager for 26 diverse countries and over 150 brands. Prior to that, Cotton 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.

Cotton, who holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, replaces Todd Siwak, who has decided to return to private equity.

“I’m excited to join Ferrero North America and lead this incredible team and portfolio of beloved brands on its continued growth trajectory,” says Cotton. “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.”