Profile: Marissa Jarratt, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, 7-Eleven

Marissa Jarratt has been transforming and inspiring throughout her career, and even with the challenges 2020 brought to lead and strive for excellence, she continued to make her mark. She joined 7-Eleven in October 2019 as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. She believes the retailer’s new brand positioning, “Activate Awesome,” can be universally applicable. “Those two words cover a lot of territory: when talking about how we present our brand to customers, how to lead/motivate a team, or (aspirationally) to make a difference in the world,” she says.Jarratt, a Spanish and finance major who also holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin, was a finance analyst before entering the world of brand management and marketing at PepsiCo. She stayed there for 14 years, ultimately serving as its vice president of global marketing. She was also on the board of directors for both MilkPEP and Good Karma Foods before joining Dean Foods, where she held two senior vice president of marketing roles.“Activate Awesome,” she says, positions the retailer as an “ingenious accomplice” ready to solve customers’ problems while giving them a reason to smile. “When COVID-19 struck and 7-Eleven remained open as an essential business, our brand’s purpose became even more apparent.”One of its biggest pivots during the height of the pandemic was canceling 7-Eleven Day on July 11. Instead of the typical celebration, the retailer extended its free Slurpee drink offer throughout July to its 35 million 7Rewards loyalty members.“As we all navigate the future, we’ll continue to serve as that unwavering partner,” says Jarratt, who has been recognized as a Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer (2018), a Rising Star by the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame, and a “40 Under 40” by Brand Innovators (2014).

Profile: Marissa Jarratt, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, 7-Eleven

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