Todd Kaplan

Kraft Heinz recruits former PepsiCo CMO Todd Kaplan to serve as CMO, North America. Kaplan left PepsiCo last month after almost 18 years, having served in positions including VP, marketing for Pepsi, as well as for the company’s water portfolio. He will oversee marketing across Kraft Heinz’s $22 billion food and beverage portfolio in North America, including such brands as Heinz, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, Maxwell House, Grey Poupon and Cool Whip. He will also lead the company’s North American Growth Office and “The Kitchen,” its in-house content studio.

Julia Phillips

Bluerock, an alternative asset manager with more than $18 billion in acquired and managed assets, hires Julia Phillips as managing director and CMO. Phillips most recently served as a principal in Blackstone's private wealth solutions group, where she led product marketing for the firm's real estate strategies. Before that, she was head of marketing and product for Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors. At Bluerock, Phillips will be responsible for leading the firm's marketing and communications strategy and elevating its brand position in the private wealth alternatives space. “Julia's expertise in developing impactful communication strategies to illustrate the benefits of alternatives allocations will play a key role in Bluerock's growth," said Ramin Kamfar, Bluerock's CEO and founder.

Courtney Brown Warren

Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform, promotes Courtney Brown Warren to CMO. Warren has been with the company since April 2023, previously serving as VP of brand marketing. She was previously global head of brand at Twitter and head of creative at Audible. In her new post, Warren will oversee all aspects of Kickstarter's marketing strategy, including product marketing, creative, communications, content, social, experiential, partnerships, and sponsorships. She will also oversee Kickstarter’s sales and community outreach strategy. “Courtney's passion for storytelling and her proven marketing expertise have already made a mark on our brand,” said Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor. “I’m excited to see how she continues to leverage marketing to continue to invigorate the brand and champion the voices and ideas of our creators and backers around the world.“