[axr] Sales & Marketing Collective: October 2026

Welcome to the October 2026 edition of the [axr] Sales & Marketing Collective

Sales led the month with almost 50% of moves in this space, and consumer health was the busiest corner of it, with Bayer, Vitaco and Perrigo all hiring. At the senior end, ZURU Edge picked up its second Unilever category leader in as many months, and Cartology brought in a GM from the brand side.

Our purpose is to enable great career decisions. If anything here sparks your curiosity about your own career, or how you're building your team, we're always here for a conversation.

Senior Appointments 

• After 15 years brand-side in FMCG, including nearly five years at Unilever where she set up the ANZ digital commerce function, Fern Shannon has crossed to the retailer side as GM, Commercial & Strategic Solutions at Cartology, leading the Everyday Needs vertical.

• Link Snacks has appointed Talia Livni as Sales Director ANZ, after six and a half years at SC Johnson leading eCommerce, Independents and alternate channels.

• ZURU Edge has added a second Unilever category leader in two months, following Annabel Harris's appointment in September.

Sales & Category Appointments

• After seven years leading the retail sales function at The Clorox Company, Andrew Blair has joined KENT Consumer Brands APAC as National Business Manager - Grocery.

• Vitaco Health Group has hired Allana Grotto as National Business Manager - Sigma Healthcare, ending a 16-year run at Bayer that began in the mailroom and finished with her leading the Sigma and Chemist Warehouse accounts as Senior National Account Manager.

• Heading the other way, Sherille Gonzalez returns to consumer health as National Account Manager at Bayer, after a year in packaging as Account Manager at Plasdene Glass-Pak.

• At Perrigo, Denis Melloy has joined as National Account Manager - Retail, the same role he held at Ontex.

• Soap Solutions, home of the Freshwater Farm and Beach Road brands, has appointed Stephen Lucas as National Sales Manager, from a National Business Manager role at Edgewell Personal Care.

• In fresh, Stelios Vranas has moved from Krispy Kreme to Beak & Johnston, keeping his National Business Manager title.

• Tony Talevski joins Luv-a-Duck as Head of Retail, after 13 years as Head of Sales at 7Chefs.

• Amit Sharma swings back from category to sales, joining Refresco as National Business Manager - FSD after category roles at Sun Road Group, Noumi and Ferrero.

• Barry Callebaut has brought in Saman Bakht as Distribution Manager ANZ, after five years at SPC Global, most recently as Head of Ingredients & Co-manufacturing.

• From Frostbland, Josephine Mirigliani has moved to Axia Beauty as National Account Manager - Big W.

• Chris Roelofse steps up from National Account Executive - Coles at McCain Foods to Key Account Manager at Soulfresh.

• Hill's Pet Nutrition has appointed Samantha Corrigan as Category & Commercial Strategy Manager, from a National Business Manager role at iSOFT.
  

Marketing Appointments 

• After almost 19 years at Electrolux Group - from the customer contact centre to Head of Marketing ANZ - Christina Kumcevski has joined Zip Water as Head of Marketing.

• The Arnott's Group's Tim Tam team lost two marketers this month. Holly Gregory, who joined Arnott's as a graduate and won the 2025 Joe Berry Award, has moved to Nestlé as Brand Manager - KitKat. Charlotte Smith, formerly Social & Content Lead - Tim Tams, has joined BIG W as Marketing Manager - Social.

• Juzzy Pacampara steps up from Assistant Brand Manager at Nestlé to Brand Manager at Nudie.

• HomeMade has appointed Bec Borgo as Head of Marketing, from a Senior Manager - Group Marketing & Creative Studio role at Mable.

• Also stepping up to Brand Manager, Greer Smyth moves from an Assistant Brand Manager role at Real Pet Food Company to Primo Foods.

• From a Senior Sports Marketing & Events Manager role at Elite Supplements, John Finnerty has joined Neutonic as Brand Manager.

• Outside FMCG, Airbnb has hired Madeline Riley as Senior Influencer Manager, from Tinder's UK and Nordics marketing team.

If you're looking to build your career or your team, reach out. 

Thanks, 

Andrew Cannock 

Director – Sales & Marketing [axr] Recruitment & Search