Dr. Bronner’s Announces New Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy & Impact Officer Positions
Top-Selling Soap Brand Promotes Current Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Constructive Capital
October 8, 2024
VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, family owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, is pleased to announce the promotion of two department heads, Christina Volgyesi and Les Szabo. The two will now hold the titles of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy & Impact Officer, respectively. The addition of these two new positions to Dr. Bronner’s leadership structure marks the first time individuals outside the Bronner family will hold officer-level positions at the company. These two appointments follow an announcement in August that the company had promoted five department heads to Vice President.
“Dr. Bronner’s has experienced tremendous growth over the last two decades, both in terms of our revenue, and philanthropic and activist budget. We are evolving our organization to better serve our customers, our regenerative organic farmers and fair trade suppliers, and our philanthropic partners and activist causes long into the future,” said David Bronner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “These two appointments are part of a broader effort to develop and support growth opportunities, bolster our organizational capabilities, and fuel our activist mission in the world.”
The dedication and tenure of Volgyesi and Szabo have been pivotal to the growth and impact of the company, including the expansion of Dr. Bronner’s sales into mass market channels; expansion of product lines into personal care essentials like toothpaste and other products; the recent introduction of new Liquid Soap Refill Carton packaging; and the brand’s continued commitment to supporting charity and activism—all while modeling ethical business practices. With their dedication, all this and much more has been achieved by Dr. Bronner’s without taking on any outside equity, and while the company has remained independent, and family owned.
New Officer Positions at Dr. Bronner’s
Christina Volgyesi, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), joined Dr. Bronner’s in 2010 and established the company’s marketing department in 2011. Originally, the department’s primary mandate was focused on promoting advocacy initiatives with cause-marketing campaigns in retail stores and through grassroots events in support of legalizing industrial hemp farming, promoting GMO labeling, and raising the minimum wage. The department has since grown to a team of over 25 people and its work has evolved to now include global brand management, creative services, digital content, and new product development. Christina works with Dr. Bronner’s leadership and executive team to shape global brand strategy and help ensure mission and creative alignment around the world, including launching strategic plastic reduction initiatives such as the company’s Liquid Soap Refill Carton packaging. In her new role, Christina will seek to drive revenue growth through mission-aligned and industry-leading marketing practices while utilizing data-backed insights to inform pricing strategies and communications. She will continue to oversee Marketing and Customer Experience as well as Sales and Engagement, among other departments. For a full bio and headshot, see Dr. Bronner’s media center.
Les Szabo, Chief Strategy & Impact Officer (CSIO), joined Dr. Bronner’s in 2013. In his role as Director and then Vice President of Constructive Capital, Les has led philanthropy management and business development for the company, and most recently has taken the reigns of international markets. His team’s support of philanthropic giving facilitates the company’s goal of dedicating at least one-third of profit annually to charitable and activist causes as well as funding a variety of impact investing initiatives. The team also provides ongoing strategic support to key nonprofit partners and mission-aligned businesses. Under his department’s mandate to support business development, the Constructive Capital department also facilitates company-wide strategic planning, including Dr. Bronner’s annual OKR (Objective & Key Results) goal setting process. In his new role Les will continue to lead strategic planning and support other key business initiatives to bolster organizational capabilities and drive growth. He will also continue to oversee Constructive Capital, International Markets, as well as the E-Commerce, and Social Action departments. For a full bio and headshot, see Dr. Bronner’s media center.
“We are proud to recognize the contributions of Christina Volgyesi and Les Szabo. Christina’s sales-driven approach to the development of our Marketing department has significantly elevated our brand’s retail presence and has laid the foundation for continued success,” said Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “Similarly, Les Szabo’s results-oriented leadership on purpose-driven business development and philanthropic initiatives has been instrumental in codifying our organizational planning processes and supporting our ability to scale our growth. Their activist hearts embody the spirit of our mission, and their outstanding work exemplifies the talent and commitment across our company that fuels our success.”
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About Dr. Bronner’s
Founded in the U.S. in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, maker of exceptional fair trade and organic chocolate sourced to the highest agricultural and labor standards, and a leading mission-driven brand worldwide. The company is an independent, family-owned business based in California, committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible personal care and food products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability, and progressive and ethical business is part of the company’s mission to put the “All-One” philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels into practice and integrate these ideals into all aspects of its operations. The company caps executive salaries at 5 times its lowest paid fully vested position and donates all profits not needed for business development. In 2023, Dr. Bronner’s generated an estimated $199.6 million in net revenue and gave more than $5 million to charitable and activist causes. To-date, Dr. Bronner’s has donated over $100 million. The company celebrated 75 years in business in 2023. For further information, please visit: https://www.drbronner.com.