Nestle Health Science has hired Brian Groves as its new U.S. chief marketing officer amid a shake-up in its commercial team.
Groves, who begins the new role in September, will focus on the company’s digital media and marketing strategy “with a primary focus on accelerating digital capabilities and activation,” according to a release.
He comes with an impressive CV, having previously served as the vice president of global CPG clients and categories at Meta, the parent company of Facebook. Prior to that, he held the position of U.S. chief marketing officer for Pfizer's former consumer healthcare unit and, before that, for Johnson & Johnson's former consumer healthcare division
Gabriella Viljoen is joining Nestle's U.S. unit next month as the vice president of e-commerce. She comes from Garden of Life and brings experience from her time at Amazon, where she served as VP of strategy. In her new role, she will be responsible for “developing and managing marketing activities across multiple marketplaces to significantly drive profitable sales and optimize spend across the U.S. business,” according to Nestle.
Nestle’s biggest pharma product has been Palforzia, a drug it bagged a few years ago from California-based Aimmune Therapeutics for more than $2.1 billion. However, receiving approval right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic didn't bode well for Palforzia's sales, and the anticipated blockbuster trajectory never materialized. According to reports by Bloomberg, the current plan is to sell off the Palforzia business.
The new hires come after Nestle said it was planning to shut two health science plants in the U.S. earlier this year to begin “sharpening the focus [of the unit] on consumer care and medical nutrition,” meaning its new marketing team may well have a new marketing direction outside of Palforzia.