Gabriel Fernandez appointed as Mars Wrigley’s president global emerging markets
pic: Mars
Senior regional manager Gabriel Fernandez has been confirmed as President, Global Emerging Markets (GEM) at Mars Wrigley, amid a period of notable growth for the business, writes Neill Barston.
He succeeds Blas Maquivar, who is set to serve as the global president for health and wellness within the business, which this week was among the principal supporters of the World Cocoa Conference (see our next edition for coverage).
As the company noted, Fernandez has been with Mars since 2005 and has held regional and corporate leadership roles in Latin America, Europe, and North America. From 2016 to 2024, Fernandez served as General Manager of Mars Wrigley Mexico. During that time, Fernandez led the business through several key transformations, including the successful integration of Mexican chocolate brand Turin, the Wrigley portfolio, and Mars Wrigley’s Caribbean and Central American markets.
In his new role, Fernandez will oversee the GEM region as it continues to build momentum and drive overall business growth. A key focus area will be continuing to cultivate a strong talent development pipeline and championing inclusion and diversity efforts across the 140+ markets within the GEM cluster. During Fernandez’s tenure in Mexico, female representation within the Mars Wrigley Latin American business rose from 10 percent to 40 percent. Fernández also led Latin America to significant financial success, achieving over 50 percent growth.
Andrew Clarke, Global President, Mars Snacking, commented: “Gabriel’s extensive leadership experience and longstanding tenure at Mars make him a perfect fit to guide this burgeoning business into its next phase. Our emerging markets cluster is primed to continue drive talent, innovation, and growth for Mars Wrigley as we double down on our strategy to transform the snacking category. I know that Gabriel will take us to even greater success with his leadership acumen and track record of growth.”
Gabriel Fernandez enthused: “I am incredibly excited to continue the brilliant work led by Blas and the GEM leadership team and to partner alongside an energised team that lives out our global purpose of inspiring moments of everyday happiness. Following my experience in other emerging markets, I am eager to champion the incredible brands and talent that we have in this rapidly evolving, dynamic region. From iconic global favourites such as M&M’S to our local heroes such as Turin, I look forward to continuing our legacy of culturally relevant innovation for consumers in emerging markets.”
