Gabrielle Wesley
Chief Marketing Officer, Confectionery
Mars Snacking North America
Gabrielle Wesley is the Chief Marketing Officer, Confectionery, Mars Snacking North America and a member of the North American Leadership Team. She oversees a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of beloved brands, including M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, SKITTLES®, STARBURST®, ORBIT®, and ALTOIDS®.
With over 20 years of experience in consumer goods and private-label CPG, Gabrielle is an award-winning marketing and general management leader. Her consumer-first mindset and ability to navigate an ever-changing marketplace have driven breakthrough strategies and business growth. She is passionate about fostering One Demand partnerships across functional silos and evolving the way brands reach consumers.
Under her leadership, Mars Snacking North America has reached new heights of cultural resonance and creative excellence. Most notably, Gabrielle served as a strategic architect for the M&M’S “Spokescandies on Pause” campaign, which won a Gold Lion for Creative Strategy and a Bronze Lion at the 2023 Cannes Lions. Her portfolio-wide impact is further evidenced by a suite of business driving campaigns such as Skittles “Apologize the Rainbow” and “Deliver the Rainbow” and “Masterpieces” for 5 Gum.
Gabrielle began her career at Mars in the Petcare division, where she managed the billion-dollar Wet Portfolio, accelerating iconic brands like PEDIGREE®, CESAR®, NUTRO™, SHEBA™, and IAMS™. Before joining Mars, she held key leadership roles at General Mills and ConAgra Foods, where she gained diverse expertise across categories, business models, and global markets.
At General Mills, Gabrielle managed a variety of fan-favorite brands, including Nature Valley, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Progresso. Her international experience includes leading the Cheerios portfolio and spearheading General Mills’ Olympic Games sponsorship in Toronto, Canada. During her time at ConAgra, Gabrielle drove innovation and growth in the company’s largest global portfolio of Private Label Snacks, partnering with major retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Tesco.
As a sought-after thought leader, Gabrielle regularly delivers keynote speeches and serves on industry panels at major events worldwide. Her industry influence has been widely recognized, earning a spot on Variety’s 10 Most Influential Brand Marketers in 2024 and AdWeek 50 in 2023. She has also been honored as one of Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing and recognized by ColorComm as one of its 28 Black Women in Communications.
Gabrielle holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (Go Blue!) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tennessee State University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
With over 20 years of experience in consumer goods and private-label CPG, Gabrielle is an award-winning marketing and general management leader. Her consumer-first mindset and ability to navigate an ever-changing marketplace have driven breakthrough strategies and business growth. She is passionate about fostering One Demand partnerships across functional silos and evolving the way brands reach consumers.
Under her leadership, Mars Snacking North America has reached new heights of cultural resonance and creative excellence. Most notably, Gabrielle served as a strategic architect for the M&M’S “Spokescandies on Pause” campaign, which won a Gold Lion for Creative Strategy and a Bronze Lion at the 2023 Cannes Lions. Her portfolio-wide impact is further evidenced by a suite of business driving campaigns such as Skittles “Apologize the Rainbow” and “Deliver the Rainbow” and “Masterpieces” for 5 Gum.
Gabrielle began her career at Mars in the Petcare division, where she managed the billion-dollar Wet Portfolio, accelerating iconic brands like PEDIGREE®, CESAR®, NUTRO™, SHEBA™, and IAMS™. Before joining Mars, she held key leadership roles at General Mills and ConAgra Foods, where she gained diverse expertise across categories, business models, and global markets.
At General Mills, Gabrielle managed a variety of fan-favorite brands, including Nature Valley, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Progresso. Her international experience includes leading the Cheerios portfolio and spearheading General Mills’ Olympic Games sponsorship in Toronto, Canada. During her time at ConAgra, Gabrielle drove innovation and growth in the company’s largest global portfolio of Private Label Snacks, partnering with major retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Tesco.
As a sought-after thought leader, Gabrielle regularly delivers keynote speeches and serves on industry panels at major events worldwide. Her industry influence has been widely recognized, earning a spot on Variety’s 10 Most Influential Brand Marketers in 2024 and AdWeek 50 in 2023. She has also been honored as one of Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing and recognized by ColorComm as one of its 28 Black Women in Communications.
Gabrielle holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (Go Blue!) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tennessee State University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.