Poppi’s chief marketing officer Andy Judd has stepped down from his role, the brand confirmed to ADWEEK. The move comes three months after PepsiCo. acquired Poppi for $1.95 million in an effort to grow its portfolio of healthier brands.

Judd made the announcement in a post on LinkedIn.

“After an extraordinary journey with poppi, I’ve stepped away from my role as CMO,” he wrote yesterday. “It has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career to lead such a talented team, help shape this brand, drive unprecedented growth, and work alongside the most amazing leadership team as we revolutionized soda for the next generation.”

The exec added that he is “taking a break for some much needed time to rest, recharge, and spend more time with my family.” He also thanked his colleagues and said he is looking forward to “what this next phase holds with our new partners at Pepsico.”

Judd didn’t share additional details regarding his departure, and directed ADWEEK to a Poppi spokesperson.

A Poppi spokesperson said that its marketing organization “is now led by chief growth officer Jeff Rubenstein, who will also retain oversight of international expansion,” but didn’t say whether the company plans to backfill its CMO role.

Judd joined Poppi in 2023, where he led all of marketing, including: paid brand, media, culture (influencer, social, college, and gaming), PR, retail, and creative.

He helped launch the brand’s first Super Bowl spot in 2024, and he told ADWEEK that it increased Poppi’s awareness by 25%. Judd also led Poppi’s college ambassador program, and developed the ongoing “Soda Thoughts” campaign, which included its second Big Game ad earlier this year.

Judd previously worked as chief commercial officer at Laird Foods. He also worked as CMO at brands like Unilever-owned frozen snack brand Yasso, Hershey-owned protein bar line One Brands, and had tenures at Danone and Campbell’s.

Sam’s Club has hired Chris Curtin as its new chief marketing officer (CMO). 

Curtin joins from Bank of America, where he served as svp and head of digital, social, and rewards since 2022. Before that, he worked as chief brand and innovation marketing officer at Visa. Curtin also held marketing and media roles at Hewlett-Packard and Disney earlier in his career.

He succeeds vp of marketing W. Joe DeMiero, who took over as interim CMO following Ciara Anfield’s resignation last year. 

As CMO, Curtin will be responsible for all marketing functions, including creative, strategy and planning, channel activation, creative operations, social, brand strategy, and more. He will report directly to Diana Marshall, evp and chief experience officer at Sam’s Club.

The new hire comes as Sam’s Club looks to grow its business. Over the next eight- to ten-year period, Sam’s Club aims to double its membership program, open new stores, and grow its ecommerce sales. The retailer is also investing more in technology like Scan & Go app feature and personalized advertising.

“When a member has a meaningful, positive interaction with an associate, they’re more likely to renew and stay loyal,” Chris Nicholas, president and CEO, said in an internal meeting. “We’re building a culture that supports our associates as much as our members because that’s how we win.”

While annual membership fees have accounted for nearly 50% of Sam’s Club’s merchandise sales growth over the last two years, potential challenges loom with rising tariffs.

Sam’s Club reported $22.1 billion in net sales for its first quarter of fiscal 2026, a 2.9% year-over-year increase.

In this episode of Brave Commerce, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Andrea Zahumensky, president of North America baby and child care transformation and Canada at Kimberly-Clark. Andrea shares how the company’s long-standing commitment to solving consumer problems through science and innovation continues to guide its growth.

She discusses how leading with care, both internally and externally, becomes more powerful when backed by results, and how challenger brands have helped sharpen Kimberly-Clark’s go-to-market strategies. Andrea also reflects on the importance of authenticity in leadership and the culture shifts required to move with speed at scale.

Key takeaways:

• Performance enables care. Delivering results creates the resources to reinvest in solving real consumer problems.
• Challenger brands can expose blind spots. Kimberly-Clark’s response in diapers reshaped its innovation strategy.
• Authenticity builds trust. Leading with emotion has become Andrea’s superpower as an executive.

Fabletics has promoted Carly Gomez to chief marketing officer (CMO), filling the vacant role after Ilona Aman left for Athleta in December 2023.

Gomez has been at the activewear brand for a little over a year, most recently serving as svp of brand marketing, focusing on strategy and creative. Before Fabletics, she spent nearly 11 years at Vans, where she held several marketing leadership roles, including global and Americas vp of marketing, brand management, direct-to-consumer (DTC), and social media.

In her new role at Fabletics, Gomez will lead all brand, digital innovation, and customer engagement initiatives as the brand looks to continue growing.

“I joined Fabletics last year because I believe it is at the cutting edge of customer engagement, and is truly reinventing the activewear space,” Gomez said in a statement. “Stepping into the CMO role, I am excited to unlock new ways of elevating our brand and delivering an impactful customer experience that propels Fabletics forward in this next chapter.”

Additionally, Fabletics’ chief operating officer (COO) Meera Bhatia has been promoted to president and COO. She joined the brand as COO in 2020 and led initiatives across ecommerce, production, operations, and technology. In her new role, her remit will expand to include product creation, retail, wholesale, and international operations. The goal is to streamline brand and operations under one leader.

“Meera and Carly have been exceptional leaders for our team during a pivotal point in our growth trajectory,” said Adam Goldenberg, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Fabletics, in a statement.

To sustain growth, Gomez and Bhatia will pick up where former global brand president Ashley Kechter left off, as the exec left Fabletics for Vuori last month. Kechter led the brand to an annual revenue growth of $900 million while laying the groundwork for wholesale expansion with retailers like Nordstrom as well as international retailers in countries like Germany and the U.K. She also helped forge collaborations with celebrities like Mexican American singer Becky G and Khloé Kardashian.

“This is a big year for Fabletics, as we are on track to exceed $1 billion in revenue while continuing to expand our retail fleet beyond our current 100+ stores,” Goldenberg said. “We’re introducing new store formats and pursuing plans for international expansion—all while continuing to deliver the innovative partnerships and best-in-class product we are known for. We are thrilled to have Meera and Carly expand their roles and position us for continued success.”

Following the exit of its chief diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officer Lesley Slaton Brown this month, the NBA is forming a new sub-department called Social Impact and Inclusion, ADWEEK has learned.

An internal memo, obtained by ADWEEK, stated the new team will launch on June 16 and will be led by Barbara Bush, daugther of former President George W. Bush, who is promoted to senior vice president of social impact and inclusion. She was previously the league’s vice president of social impact since 2023, where she led efforts in racial justice, public service, and health initiatives.

Bush will report to Kathy Behren, the NBA’s president of social responsibility and player programs.

“This new structure will allow us to better connect our colleagues to our impact efforts and ensure that our game is accessible to fans around the world,” read the email, which was sent to all NBA staff “a couple of weeks ago,” per a source familiar with the matter. 

“It will also help us create a more inclusive and welcoming workplace, one where all employees feel respected and empowered to do their best work,” it continued.

In a statement shared with ADWEEK, the NBA said that the new group “will bring together the NBA’s and WNBA’s efforts in civic engagement and workplace inclusion to better serve our stakeholders and communities.”

DEI chief exits

The news comes as Slaton Brown wraps up her tenure as the league’s DEI chief.

In April, ADWEEK reported that the exec is stepping down from her role at the end of the season to move back to the West Coast. At the time of her departure, the NBA said it would not be backfilling her position. 

Brown joined the NBA as chief DEI officer in 2023. During her tenure, she worked with the league’s chief people officer Sabrina Ellis and individual teams’ diversity and inclusion leaders to implement and advance programs such as recruiting diverse talent and developing employee resource programs.

Before the NBA, Brown had been chief DEI officer at HP since 2015, where she helped shape its long-term DEI goals and strategy. She also led inclusive talent acquisition programs and partnerships and developed training and education for HP leaders and hiring managers globally.

“We are grateful for Lesley’s many contributions, including working directly with our teams and colleagues at the league office on a number of initiatives to foster a more inclusive workplace and drive our business forward,” read an email sent to all NBA staff on April 2.

Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has launched a campaign against DEI, signing an executive order to end “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.” A series of orders have followed, with brands like Target and Bank of America adjusting their efforts accordingly, while others like Starbucks and Apple have doubled down on their DEI commitments.

Kantar has appointed Jeff Greenspoon as CEO for the Americas.

Greenspoon will officially start on August 4. He will report to Kantar global CEO Chris Jansen and join the group executive team.

He succeeds Wayne Levings, interim CEO of Kantar Americas and global chief client officer. Levings has led the Americas business for the past two years and will return to the UK when Greenspoon assumes the role.

In a statement, Greenspoon shared that what drew him to Kantar was its “unique mix of global intelligence, trusted marketing IP, and the belief that great insights have the power to change everything.”

“I’ve long admired Kantar’s ability to turn insight into brand and business impact, and I’ve seen first-hand the high regard in which marketing leaders hold the business,” he said.

Greenspoon joins Kantar from dentsu, where he was most recently chief global client officer and chief business officer for the Americas. There, he worked with clients including General Motors, Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, AB InBev, Disney, and Hilton Hotels.

He was previously dentsu’s first chief product officer, CEO of Canada, and global president of integrated solutions. Greenspoon also co-founded digital creative firm Spoke in 2009, which dentsu acquired in 2014.

“Jeff brings a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, and strategy,” said Kantar chief executive Chris Jansen in a statement. “His deep understanding of the marketing ecosystem, global client C-suite experience, and proven track record of building high-performing teams make him a great fit for Kantar and our Americas business.”

I’m confident our teams and clients will be struck—as I was—by his energy, creativity, and commitment to client impact,” he continued.

Kantar recently released its global Brand Z study, which identified Apple as the world’s most valuable brand at $1.3 trillion.

FCB has added another title to New York CEO Emma Armstrong’s remit: global chief transformation officer. The role expands her purview from the New York office to the agency’s global network.

Armstrong, who has led FCB New York for five years, will now also oversee innovation and systems integration initiatives across the network, with a eye toward connecting FCB’s global operations.

“We believe in using our creativity as an economic multiplier for the benefit of our clients,” Armstrong told ADWEEK. “That’s always been at our core. How we deliver creativity has significantly evolved over the past decade.”

In her tenure, Armstrong has led FCB New York to triple both revenue and headcount. It also added over 30 brands to its roster including Kenvue’s Listerine and Johnson’s Baby and Kellanova’s Pringles, Cheez-It, Eggo, and Rice Krispies Treats.

“She’s an unbelievable leader who builds trust with the world’s largest clients in a very special way,” Tyler Turnbull, global CEO of FCB, said of Armstrong. “As we formalized this role, that was a key factor.”

As chief transformation officer, Armstrong will help map out FCB’s strategy and use of AI, which will play a crucial role in the agency’s future, she said. FCB has an internal AI console integrated with five LLMs and is setting up agentic workflows.

But as the agency invests more in AI, it will be mindful of using it as a tool to enhance human creativity. As Turnbull put it: “It’s never been easier to make content that’s uninteresting.”

“The success of an agency depends on the work it creates,” he said. “I hope we don’t lose sight of that, given all the innovation we’re seeing.”

Cincinnati-based consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble announced that it would eliminate 7,000 jobs over the next two years as it contends with costs associated with the tariffs imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump and consumer anxiety.

The cuts—which represent close to 6% of the company’s global workforce and 15% of its non-manufacturing workforce—were announced by chief financial officer Andre Schulten during the Deutsche Bank Consumer Conference in Paris on Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, Schulten said, “This restructuring program is an important step toward ensuring our ability to deliver our long-term algorithm over the coming two to three years. It does not, however, remove the near-term challenges that we currently face.”

With an employee base of nearly 108,000 around the world, P&G is known for making popular household and personal products including Tide, Gain, Pampers, Bounty, Crest, Always, Gillette, and Febreze.

The just-announced cuts will be part of a broader restructuring program the company is undertaking, which includes ceasing production in specific markets and dropping certain brands altogether.

AP also reported that the company indicated during a conference call in April that it will likely have to raise prices on its products as it deals with the Trump-imposed tariffs, which affect its raw and packaging materials, as well as some finished products coming from China.

To counter the impact of the tariffs, P&G said it will examine sourcing options and implement productivity improvements.