Teterboro, New Jersey, August 2, 2010– “We’re pleased to expand our Marketing Services and Sensory Consumer Department through the appointments of two top-notch marketing and consumer insight specialists. These individuals, like all the other professionals who are in place in our department, really ‘get it’ when it comes to mastering what it takes in developing the taste and aroma nuances that lead to wide product acceptance and lasting brand success,” stated Emmanuel Laroche, Vice President of Symrise’s Marketing Services and Sensory Consumer Department.
Ian Björn Thurston named Marketing Communication Manager
Ian Björn Thurston’s responsibilities include the development and implementation of Symrise North America’s communication activities to increase and maintain Symrise’s brand awareness in the U.S. market. He will be supporting specific customer/category initiatives that include the development and implementation of promotional activities for Symrise N.A. business units. Ian will be guiding public relations, advertising and direct marketing programs. Additionally, he will be managing the communications budget and overseeing graphic design. He will be involved in regional market research, focused on consumer, category and flavor trends and will be presenting trend overviews to colleagues and customers. Ian reports to Emmanuel Laroche.
Ian was previously a Senior Marketing Manager at the Institute for International Research, where he developed more than 20 strategic marketing campaigns. Before that, he was the founder of Word 2 Image LLC, a greeting card and paper products business, designing and marketing products for distribution throughout the United States. Ian also held successful marketing management positions at Macy’s headquarters in San Francisco, CA, Creative@Work in Milan, Italy and Quinto & Company in New York, NY. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Boston University with degrees in Communications, International Relations and Spanish, Ian subsequently earned an MBA in Marketing and International Business at the University of Miami.
Frank Rapacki advances from Senior Manager to Director, Consumer Insights
Since he joined Symrise in 2006, Frank Rapacki has been Manager of Sensory & Consumer Science. He advanced to a Senior Manager position before becoming Director of Consumer Insights, reporting to Emmanuel Laroche. Frank now leads the North American consumer insights team in providing custom sensory, consumer and marketing research data in support of Symrise’s business partners. He will join key stakeholders to define project objectives, design research solutions and will be responsible for presenting department capabilities and research to Fortune 500 clients. Frank will also be developing new qualitative and quantitative research tools and providing professional development for his team. He will coordinate global research projects in concert with counterparts from regional consumer insight teams. Frank will manage the North American budget and continue his dedication to the Symrise University Relations program, a project which he initiated to attract new talent to the organization.
Before joining Symrise, Frank was a Senior Scientist at The Pepsi-Cola Company and has collaborated on scientific articles for Food Quality & Preference. Frank earned both a BS and an MS degree in Food Science from Cornell University and an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University. Currently, Frank is a Member at Large in Society of Sensory Professionals, a member of the Institute of Food Technologists and the Marketing Research Association.
In citing these new placements, Mr. Laroche concluded that the work of Symrise’s Marketing Services and Sensory Consumer Department in North America goes beyond what other flavor suppliers provide. “Our insights and understanding of what consumers are looking for are based on sound marketing intelligence combined with in-depth sensory analysis. These integrated functions are performed by a world class team of experts who collaborate in the delivery of an effective, positive impact on product development at the earliest stages,” he said.
About Symrise
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavorings while also manufacturing raw materials and active ingredients for the perfume, cosmetics and food industries.
Its sales of €1.36 billion in 2009 place the company among the top four in the international flavors and fragrances market. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, Symrise is represented in more than 35 countries in Europe, Asia, the United States and South America.
Used by manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics and foods, our products are an inseparable part of daily life. At Symrise we combine an awareness of consumer trends with cutting-edge technologies, focusing on innovative fashion and lifestyle products that have additional practical value for the consumer. Symrise – Always inspiring more…