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Press Release
Award-Winning Agency and CPG Veteran, Karuna Rawal, Joins Sustainable Bioproducts as its First Chief Marketing Officer
New CMO will advance VC-backed biotech startup’s mission of developing breakthrough food products
CHICAGO, July 24, 2019 — Sustainable Bioproducts, a biotech startup invested in the future of food through the development of alternative proteins with minimal impact on the environment, has appointed Karuna Rawal its Chief Marketing Officer. Rawal is the company’s first CMO.
Rawal brings over 25 years marketing expertise in consumer brands, retail and innovation to Sustainable Bioproducts (SBP). She joins SBP from Leo Burnett/Publicis Groupe where she most recently served as President, Groupe Client Lead across multi-agency teams for Procter & Gamble and ALDI. During her tenure at Leo Burnett, Rawal was the Lead Strategist for the award winning “#LikeAGirl” campaign for Procter & Gamble’s Always brand, which won over 170 industry awards including an Emmy for Outstanding TV Commercial in 2015 and an inaugural Cannes Lion for Gender Equality. Reporting to Thomas Jonas, SBP’s Chief Executive Officer, Rawal assumes a top leadership team role with responsibility for strategic marketing and innovation with the mission of launching new alternative protein product lines.
Karuna’s acumen as a storyteller and innovator along with her deep experience in building iconic brands that connect with consumers at an emotional and purposeful level is exactly what we need for the next stages of our company’s growth,” said Thomas Jonas. “In Karuna we have a champion who will help us accelerate the delivery of our nature-based alternative protein products that not only provide healthier sources of great nutrition, but leave minimal environmental impact. We look forward to having Karuna build and lead a team of entrepreneurial marketers who can help activate our brand in this next phase.”
“Joining Sustainable Bioproducts is a once in a lifetime opportunity that combines my passion for health and commitment to sustainability” said Rawal. “It is a privilege to work with this exceptional team to deliver their groundbreaking alternative proteins to food products. It’s most exciting to have the chance to tell the story of how we harness the power of nature to help feed the world in a sustainable manner. In SBP we have the solution that both helps people and our planet.”
During her nine-year tenure at Publicis Groupe, Rawal also led Arc Worldwide, Publicis’ lead Shopper and Commerce agency, as U.S. President and Global Chief Strategy Officer. She was also Chief Strategy Officer for Farmhouse, Leo Burnett’s New Venture and Innovation group. Prior to Leo Burnett, Rawal spent eight years as Founder and President of Arya Consulting, an entrepreneurial venture dedicated to branding, strategy and innovation consulting. Rawal began her career in brand management at The Procter & Gamble Company leading Jif, Folgers and Duncan Hines Baking Mixes brands. Her last role at P&G was Marketing Director, North America Customer Marketing.
Rawal currently serves on the boards of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and on the Corporate Advisory Board for Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit dedicated to providing needed supplies for disadvantaged school-age children. She serves as an Advisory Board member for the 3% Conference, which is dedicated to increasing the number of senior female Creative Directors in advertising. Rawal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from The Kellogg School at Northwestern University with a specialization in Marketing and Management.