New Marketing Director for Candy People US

In addition to the headquarter in Malmö, Candy People currently has a total of 9 sales offices around the world: Trondheim, Moscow, Dallas, Perth, Dubai and Shanghai. It is from our international offices that we supply the world with Swedish candy and our vision is for the whole world to take part in Sweden's high quality candy. Candy People has been in the US for 7 years. Our Dallas office opened 5 years and in Los Angeles we have a strong marketing team that works with marketing in social media, events and sponsorships. United States is currently our largest market for Swedish sweets abroad and our largest customers are IKEA, Wholefood/Amazon and Trader Joe´s. In the coming year, we want to further increase our presence in the US market, that is why we have now chosen to recruit a marketing star from Sweden - Welcome to Candy People USA Valerie Wigardt.

“For the American market, we have chosen to recruit from Sweden because we want someone who understands the Swedish candy culture while also having a background in marketing and brand building. Our journey in the US will now begin like a start-up as we put new energy into growing our brands. Valerie has experience from both start-ups and working with global relations, that is why the recruitment felt very natural. ”- Jacob Youssef, CEO, Candy People.

Valerie has broad experience in large established companies as well as start-ups both internationally and in the US. Previously, she has worked with Absolut Vodka both the US and Brazil and therefore speaks Portuguese and Spanish. Most recently, Valerie worked within consumer electronics at Urbanista in Stockholm as Head of Global Marketing.

“I look forward to working with the US market and building a healthier view of sweets - Sweets of the Future. Being healthy does not mean you cannot eat candy. One does not always exclude the other. Candy People do not hide their ingredients and are transparent with their recipes, we also strive to make candy cleaner, vegan, organic, sustainable and with less refined sugar. ”- Valerie Wigardt, Marketing Director USA, Candy People

Valerie will primarily be based in the Los Angeles office and will begin by working closely with the other Candy People offices around the world to synchronize the organization's vision globally. This will also mean finding interesting collaborations with other brands and profiles, especially those who have a great desire for high quality Swedish candy. American sweets today use corn syrup instead of sugar, a lot of trans fats and most of their added coloring contain GMO, which the candy in Sweden does not. Therefore, the candy from Sweden is considered much "cleaner" and healthier.

“Our goal is to build a strong brand in the US market and we will start by investing in our vegan and organic VegoBears. When it comes to health, Los Angeles is really at the forefront so it feels natural and exciting to start building the brand here. ”- Valerie Wigardt, Marketing Director USA, Candy People

Candy People warmly welcome Valerie to our global team and we are looking forward to an exciting 2020.

Learn more! Contact: hannah@candypeople.com