Paula Gomes
CPG Brand Leader | P&L + Innovation Strategist | Driving Growth in Food & Beverage |UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA
- Role
- Brand Marketing General Manager - Essentia (Nestle Waters & Premium Beverages) at Nestlé
- Location
- Arlington, VA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Paula Gomes
I’m a strategic brand marketer with over a decade of experience driving growth across food and beverage CPG. I’ve led P & Ls, repositioned portfolios, launched new products, and built long-range plans that deliver results—across premium hydration, seasonings/sauces, frozen meals, and desserts. From acquisition integration to innovation pipelines, I know how to scale what works and evolve what doesn’t.I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution—bringing together cross-functional teams to solve complex challenges and drive performance. With experience spanning brand management, pricing, and omnichannel activation, I’m commercially grounded, consumer-first, and energized by leading in fast-paced, high-growth environments.Fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, I bring a global lens—and a people-first mindset—to everything I do.
Experience
Brand Marketing General Manager - Essentia (Nestle Waters & Premium Beverages)
Mar 2023 — Present · Arlington, VA, US
As General Manager for Essentia, a $500MM premium water brand, I lead the development and execution of brand strategy and portfolio management. I design and implement long-term market business strategies and annual brand and commercial plans, alongside monthly business planning initiatives. My focus is on driving strategy through execution, having successfully spearheaded Essentia’s post-acquisition integration while creating a comprehensive long-range roadmap. I emphasize cross-functional alignment to achieve sustainable top- and bottom-line growth, ensuring that we consistently meet our business objectives and elevate our brand presence in the market.
Education
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Marketing, General Management
2016 — 2018
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
MBA, Business Administration and Management, General
Bucknell University
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Business Management
2002 — 2006
Skills
- Fundraising
- Competitive Intelligence
- Marketing Strategy
- Social Media
- Grassroots Marketing
- Community Outreach
- Health Insurance
- Business Planning
- Strategic Planning
- Marketing Communications
- Company Profiling
- Marketing
- Strategy
- Salesforce.com
- E-Newsletter Design
- Portfolio Management
- Customer Relations
- Market Intelligence
- Start-Ups
- Customer Satisfaction
- Training
- New Business Development
- Product Development
- Public Speaking
- Analytics
- Public Relations
- Research
- Microsoft Office
- Sales
- Community Organizing
- Management
- Onboarding
- Microsoft Excel
- Powerpoint
- Data Analysis
- Leadership
- Crm
- Process Improvement
- Big Data
- Team Leadership
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