Infant formula company Bubs has appointed Dylan Lu as managing director for Greater China, along with two executive promotions and appointments to the board of the Infant Nutrition Council.
Having set up Hershey’s high performing ecommerce business, Lu comes from a background of creating digital growth for businesses in China. His most recent role was vice president marketing and ecommerce for The a2 Milk Company.
Bubs executive chair Dennis Lin said Lu had 23 years of experience with major brands in the UK and China.
“In light of the company’s renewed strategy of driving China’s accelerated growth through an integrated omnichannel approach, Lu is eminently qualified to lead our China subsidiary, Bubs (Shanghai) Trading and cross-functional team in-market.” said Lin.
Lu has worked for various multinational firms’ China divisions including, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Mars, Muller Dairy and Unilever.
Key promotions
The company has made two promotions at the start of FY22.
General manager marketing Vivian Zurlo has been promoted to chief marketing & innovation officer – global markets, after joining the company’s leadership team in July 2019.
Zurlo brings experience from marketing growth in domestic and APAC food, dairy, vitamin and functional health & wellness categories. Her role in improving the company’s domestic brand share and developing a brand-strategy for Bubs IP brand has been crucial since initially joining as a senior commercial marketing business leader.
In her new role, Zurlo will be responsible for continuing growth for the IP brand and advancement of Bubs’ global market diversification along with new product ideas to meet market opportunities.
General manager – dairy Richard Paine has been promoted to chief manufacturing officer – quality, dairy and nutritionals, after being a leadership team member for four years.
Paine has worked in the commodity and nutritional ingredient sectors, bringing 30 years of experience managing dairy site operations for multiple companies, including Murray Goulburn and Bega Cheese.
Paine has been responsible for the company’s dairy-based operations and the manufacturing facility for its Deloraine infant formula, along with the product’s supply chains across Australia and New Zealand.
Paine’s new role entails monitoring of all product manufacturing and related processes, along with milk supply and utilisation. He will manage the company’s complete internal and external manufacturing.
Bubs founder and CEO Kristy Carr said Zurlo and Paine have served the company greatly over the past years.
“They have proven to be major contributors to maintaining market momentum and innovation, manufacturing excellence and supply chain resilience that stands us in good stead to deliver our future global growth aspirations,” said Carr.
Infant Nutrition Council
The company’s trading arm Infant Food Co Ltd has stepped up from associate member to an ordinary membership status of the Infant Nutrition Council (IFC).
Carr said the new membership places the company in a good position to contribute to the INC’s strategic direction in Australia.
“Importantly this has been accompanied by INC board membership for our senior executive leadership team members; chief operating officer Fabrizio Jorge and chief marketing & innovation officer Vivian Zurlo.
“Bubs looks forward to joining its fellow industry leading peers and working together to the INC objectives,” she said.
