Jennifer Davidson, formerly general manager of Molson Coors’ Six Pints Specialty Beer Co. craft beer division, has taken on the role of vice president, marketing communications at CIBC.
Davidson left Six Pints in April and begins her new role today, reporting to Rob Assimakopoulos, CIBC’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. That role has been vacant since Allan Lindsay left earlier this year and joined M&M Meat Shops as VP, marketing.
Will Meijer, previously VP, brand activation at Molson Coors, has taken the GM role for Six Pints.
In the new role, Davidson will be accountable for the development and delivery of all integrated brand and marketing communications strategy, including leading brand strategy, marketing planning, campaign development and agency relationship management.
Davidson held various high-level marketing positions at Molson Coors for the past 15 years, working on brands including Coors Light, Heineken, Molson Dry and Rickard’s. She took on the general manager role for Six Pints in 2013, leading the division that includes Creemore Springs and Granville Island. From 2008 to 2010, Davidson worked out of Denver, where she played a leadership role in starting Molson Coors’ international division.
Prior to joining Molson Coors, Davidson worked at Unilever in Toronto and Montreal for nearly a decade. She was also chair of the judging jury for the 2015 CASSIES and has been on the board of directors of the Association of Canadian Advertisers since 2012.
“I wanted a change,” Davidson says of the move to CIBC. “I felt that I had really acquired some great skills and it was time to put them to use in a new challenge.”
She notes that she was attracted to financial services in general, but also to CIBC as a company. “I think it’s another great Canadian company, it’s a great Canadian brand,” she says, adding that the bank’s customer-focused approach aligns with her focus on consumer insight-driven marketing.
Davidson comes on as the bank has undergone a recent brand refresh, and as Toronto heads into the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, for which CIBC is lead partner.
