Last updated on June 13th, 2024
Acosta, a full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, has appointed Darian Pickett as CEO, effective immediately. Pickett, a 28-year veteran with Acosta and most recently the Jacksonville, Florida-based company’s chief client officer, succeeds Alejandro Rodriguez Bas, who will leave Acosta to pursue other opportunities.
“Under Alejandro’s leadership, Acosta made substantial progress executing on our transformation plan,” said Gary Chartrand, executive chairman of the Acosta board of directors. “Acosta is now positioned to drive sustainable, long-term growth for our clients, our customers and Acosta. The board has determined that this is the right time to make a transition. We appreciate Alejandro’s contributions to Acosta and wish him success in his next chapter.”
Pickett joined Acosta in 1991 as a business manager after graduating from the University of North Texas and throughout his tenure has served Acosta in leadership positions spanning the sales strategy, client services, customer marketing, analytics, business management, sales optimization and retail management functional areas. His roles as EVP, strategic channels in 2010; EVP, new business development in 2013 and president of strategic channels in 2014 provide him broad experience and perspective for the CEO position.
In 2017, Pickett was appointed chief client officer, reflecting his responsibility for the total client experience and sales execution across all Acosta lines of business. Throughout his career, Pickett has developed expertise in driving growth for CPG brands, knowledge of the retail and CPG industry and relationships with clients, customers and retailer partners.
“Throughout Darian’s extensive tenure at Acosta, he has shaped nearly every aspect of our business with a steadfast commitment to driving performance for our clients and customers. Darian’s transition to chief executive officer is a natural progression of his successful career within the organization and I am confident he is the right choice to lead Acosta at this time. The company’s diverse capabilities, longstanding relationships and broad expertise make us the preferred partner for manufacturers and retailers in this rapidly evolving industry,” Chartrand added.
“Acosta plays a critical role helping our clients and customers prepare for the competitive consumer landscape of the future and develop strategies to adapt and grow,” Pickett said. “I am excited to lead a highly talented and passionate team of professionals and continue demonstrating our proven abilities to drive sales and market penetration for our clients and customers. When our clients and customers win, so does Acosta.”
Acosta provides a range of outsourced sales, marketing and retail merchandising services throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.
