Diageo appoints Vince Hudson as Smirnoff global brand director
Drinks giant Diageo has named former Samsung and P&G marketer Vince Hudson as Smirnoff global brand director as it seeks to drive awareness of the vodka brand in the US.
Reporting directly to James Timpson, chief marketing and innovation officer for North America, and David Gates, Diageo’s global head of premium core brands, Hudson brings a wealth of experience to the post, most recently having served as a US vice president for Samsung’s marketing and mobile business unit.
Prior to that Hudson spent a 20 year stint at P&G in which he held a number of roles including vice president of its beauty care division.
In an internal memo Thomson and Gates said: “We are truly delighted to have Vince’s depth of marketing expertise, his commercial mind-set and his leadership to drive the strategy for the Smirnoff brand and look forward to his many contributions.”
Hudson will be reunited with former P&G colleague Jay Sethi at Diageo, another recent recruit to the drinks giant, with Sethi reporting directly to Hudson.