Chobani's McGuinness Named 'CMO of the Year'

CGT presented its fourth-annual "CMO of the Year" award to Peter McGuinness, Chief Marketing & Brand Officer of Chobani, during a special ceremony at the 2017 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit in New York City on June 6.

This one of-a-kind award is presented to the Chief Marketing Officer who has made a demonstrable impact on his/her consumer goods organization through the implementation and successful use of new marketing strategies, technologies and/or processes.

"The business results provide the direct evidence: In 2016, Chobani completed its incredible nine-year rise to the top of the U.S. yogurt category," explains Peter Breen, editor-in-chief of CGT. "But there also were other, less-measurable reasons that made Peter McGuinness a clear choice for this year's award."

As Chief Marketing & Brand Officer since 2013, McGuinness has helped build a truly authentic brand that resonates deeply with younger, more socially conscious consumers. A recently launched "Believe in Food" branding campaign promotes the community values that are a core component of Chobani's positioning (at both the brand and corporate levels). Social channels (not to mention social issues) and other non-traditional media were critical to Chobani's early development and are still a key component of the strategy.

“It’s been a great year for Chobani and this award is a real honor and testament to it. Most importantly, it’s a recognition that the work and achievements of everyone at our company have been felt by a broader community, and that’s very special and something that makes me very proud," says McGuinness.

Initial nominations for "CMO of the Year" were fielded in early 2017 by CGT and submitted by various members of the consumer goods community. The magazine's editors narrowed the nominations down to four deserving individuals who were presented to our esteemed Editorial and Research Advisory Boards for voting. Also recognized as finalists were David Kroll of MillerCoors, Marie Gulin-Merle of L'Oreal USA and Keith Weed of Unilever.

CGT presents several awards throughout the year to members of the consumer goods community. Click here to view the full program list and to make nominations.