Former Taco Bell global chief brand officer Marisa Thalberg is moving to Lowe’s Home Improvement, the company announced today.
Thalberg will take on the newly created role of chief brand and marketing officer for the hardware store, and also serve as executive vice president for the company.
“Marisa brings extensive experience in building culturally resonant brands and delivering business value through marketing innovation and fresh thinking to inspire and engage customers,” said Lowe’s president and CEO Marvin Ellison in a statement. The company is looking forward to “an exciting new chapter” under her leadership.
Thalberg left her post at Taco Bell in August 2019 after four years with the company. During her tenure, Thalberg pushed the brand into several new territories: Taco Bell opened up a branded hotel, introduced a successful new product, Nacho Fries, and partnered with T-Mobile to give customers free tacos. After her departure, Taco Bell eliminated the chief brand officer role, a move that many companies have made in recent years.
In a LinkedIn post announcing her career move, Thalberg said she’s loved challenging herself with “interesting category moves,” and is “completely energized to join the world of home improvement.”
Prior to Taco Bell, Thalberg held marketing executive roles at Estee Lauder and Unilever. Since stepping down from her position at the Taco Bell in August, Thalberg worked on a short-term project with the struggling clothing retailer Forever 21, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September. Thalberg is also the founder of Executive Moms, a support network for female executives, a program she told our Nadine Dietz about during a recent CMO Moves podcast.
Thalberg will begin the new role on Feb. 10, and will report directly to Ellison.
