NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Heineken USA Names Lesya Lysyj New Chief Marketing Officer

Lesya Lysyj (Photo: Business Wire)

Lysyj brings more than 20 years of marketing consumer packaged goods, image and premium brands, much of which was spent as a CMO managing a broad portfolio of products.

In her most recent role with Kraft Food's Confectionery division in the US, which generated $1.5B in revenue, Lysyj managed all aspects of marketing in four confectionery categories for brands including Trident, Halls and Toblerone. There, she implemented activations that helped Stride become the fastest growing gum in its category and pushed Trident to the #1 position. She also had significant impact on rejuvenating traditional consumer brands, returning Dentyne to growth after more than two years of share decline and implementing a new brand strategy for Halls that reversed four years of consecutive share decline.

Lysyj also formed and led Kraft's Confectionery Leadership Team, whose purpose was to lead the organization in delivering top and bottom line commitments and effectively transition the Cadbury team into the Kraft organization. On the team, she acted as senior decision maker on inventory management, innovation stage gates, sales priorities and more.

Prior to working at Kraft, Lysyj served in various marketing, commercial and new product development roles for companies such as Cadbury Schweppes and Mott's.

In her new role, Lysyj will be responsible for developing long-term marketing strategies for the Heineken USA beer portfolio; overseeing Heineken USA's consumer centric marketing activities and social media initiatives and ensuring that the company effectively engages with its adult consumers at all touch points.

"Along with her extensive experience in multi-brand consumer marketing and strong track record of reinvigorating brands in hard-to-tap markets, she has that intangible - the creative aptitude and competitive spark that will help our brands stand out in this competitive space," said Dolf van den Brink, president and chief executive officer, Heineken USA. "She also has a deep understanding of how the marketing function helps drive overall business strategy and we are confident her presence will be felt throughout the organization, driving us all towards our ambition of becoming the leading upscale beer company in the US."

"I look forward to building on an already strong marketing foundation with new, innovative ideas that will resonate with loyal fans and attract new consumers to Heineken USA's already iconic brands," said Lysyj. "The leadership is serious about achieving ambitious goals set for the future of this company, and I'm honored to be a part of the team that will drive Heineken USA to reach its full potential, which I know is substantial."

Lysyj, a native Canadian, holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Toronto. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children. She serves as an executive board member of the National Confectionery Association, and has volunteered her time with organizations such as Women Unlimited and Junior Achievement.

About Heineken USA

Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic application from your smartphone. Please visit www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6599391&lang=en

Heineken USA
Tara Carraro, 914-681-4153
tcarraro@heinekenusa.com