Reporting directly to Lapo Civiletti, CEO of Ferrero Group, Cotton’s brief will be to build upon Ferrero’s growing footprint and capabilities for iconic brands like Kinder, Butterfinger, Nutella and Tic Tac, and cookie favourites such as Keebler, Famous Amos, and Mother's.
Cotton replaces Todd Siwak, who has decided to return to private equity and is stepping down from his role as President and Chief Business Officer of Ferrero North America.
She will take up her new position on 1 September 2022 and will be responsible for Ferrero's business in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.
"I'm excited to join Ferrero North America and lead this incredible team and portfolio of beloved brands on its continued growth trajectory," said Cotton. "The company's global presence and rapid expansion on the continent is impressive and I'm thrilled to help move the business forward in this new chapter."
Ferrero North America is an important growth driver for the company. It recently announced it was expanding its capabilities in North America, with a new Innovation Center with R&D Lab and a chocolate processing plant and Kinder Bueno line in Bloomington, Illinois.
In addition, with support from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, Ferrero is creating new jobs and automation at its Brantford, Ontario plant.
Cotton, who holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, joins Ferrero most recently from The Coca-Cola Company where she was President of Operations for Central & Eastern Europe, serving as general manager for 26 diverse countries and over 150 brands.