PROFILE
Kristina Marino is a transformational brand operator and go-to-market leader who has scaled three beverage startups from seed to successful exit. A full-stack marketer and commercial strategist, she turns vision into execution—integrating brand, marketing, sales, and distribution to accelerate trial, velocity, and cultural relevance across DTC, retail, and on-premise.
Kristina brings a general manager’s mindset to every role, aligning cross-functional teams and building the systems, teams, and demand engines that scale revenue and unlock enterprise value. Trained through leading accelerators like Distill Ventures, ZX Ventures, and Beyond SKU, she blends creative edge with commercial rigor to lead brands through inflection points with clarity, speed, and taste.
EXPERIENCE
Fractional Chief Marketing Officer | Advisor | New York, NY 2015 – Present
Go-to-market partner to early and growth-stage CPG brands—from pre-seed concept to post-launch scale. Acting as an embedded CMO and marketing advisor, Kristina leads fundraising, launch, and expansion initiatives—optimizing brand, sales, and commercialization to sharpen competitive edge and accelerate traction. Current portfolio includes early-stage brands (Yoshi, Tigo), launch-phase (Mother’s Milk), and scale-stage (UME, Rosaluna, Chareau).
Drove $3.5M+ in investor funding through pitch narrative, financial storytelling, and category positioning
Launched multiple brands across channels and built GTM playbooks that accelerated sales velocity in priority markets
Developed category-defining brand architectures—shaping positioning, messaging, and packaging for long-term growth
Built omnichannel demand engines using digital, influencer, paid, PR, and field marketing to drive consumer pull and retail lift
Installed scalable commercial infrastructure—from CRM and retention to retail sell-in tools and key account assets
Coached founders and early teams through retail readiness, sales enablement, and post-launch growth strategy
US Head of Marketing | MR BLACK SPIRITS | New York, NY 2018 – 2024
Led the strategic launch and expansion of this Australian brand into the US market, overseeing all aspects of US commercial and marketing strategies. Full responsibility over US P&L and volume performance. Played a pivotal role in positioning Mr. Black for its successful acquisition by Diageo in September 2022, by aligning brand strategies with Diageo’s market approach and showcasing sustained revenue growth.
Built and managed a six-person team from the ground up, establishing robust infrastructure and scalable processes to support expansive growth.
Formulated U.S. brand strategies and annual marketing plans, anchored in deep consumer, customer, and shopper insights, focusing on clear growth drivers to achieve both short and long-term business objectives.
Advanced Mr. Black’s sustainability agenda by collaborating with the CEO and supply chain to forge a compelling brand narrative that effectively communicated our unique coffee story.
Collaborated with the Supply and Innovation team to develop new products for the U.S. market, overseeing ideation, partnership management, launch plans, commercialization, and go-to-market strategies.
Key Accomplishments:
Revenue Growth and Market Leadership: Achieved four consecutive years of double and triple-digit growth, propelling MR BLACK to over $7.1MM in revenue and establishing it as the highest-selling Australian spirit and the #1 Super Premium Coffee Liqueur in the U.S.
Digital Commerce Innovation: Spearheaded the development and launch of the brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce site in 2020, achieving a 336% growth in 2021 and recruiting over 20,000 new customers into our CRM, setting the stage for a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. This initiative marked the first liqueur to market in this channel.
Espresso Martini Trendsetter: Orchestrated the inaugural Espresso Martini Festival across seven U.S. markets, turning the Espresso Martini into a major cocktail trend. The event sold 7,550 cocktails and created massive engagement with 105MM impressions and 465K video views, significantly boosting the brand’s visibility and association with this now-iconic drink.
Product Innovation and Launch: Lead the successful launches of both US centric Barrel Aged LTOs, in partnership with Whistlepig Whiskey and Ilegal Mezcal, resulting in over 1000 new high value customers in Week 1 of sales.
Brand Director | KOMBREWCHA | New York, NY 2016 – 2018
Set the strategic direction for the company and cultivated a strong team culture, driving 2-3x revenue growth year-over-year, establishing a solid foundation for the brand. Shaped all aspects of brand identity including positioning, messaging, value proposition, creative strategy, product development, and go-to-market strategy. Led all on premise, off premise, and consumer marketing + creative communications plans/ RFPS across agencies.
Developed and executed innovative go-to-market, sales, and promotional strategies that accelerated trial and sales rates, and enhanced share of voice within the competitive kombucha market.
Orchestrated all facets of brand strategy including positioning, messaging, and value propositions that significantly elevated brand awareness and market share.
Executed consumer learning plan & test in market to deliver validated consumer value based brand proposition, liquid, and pack.
Played an essential role in scaling the team from four initial members to 17, integrating standardized processes to optimize operational efficiency and team synergy.
Key Accomplishments:
Category Pioneer: Created and led the Hard Kombucha category, introducing a new formula and achieving a groundbreaking $100K net revenue in just 8 weeks, marking a 5x increase over the previous run rate.
Digital Marketing Success: Relaunched the brand with dynamic social media campaigns that generated 6 million impressions, a 6x increase in Instagram followers, and a 3.0% digital engagement rate.
Acquisition and Integration: Contributed to the brand's acquisition in 2016 and successful integration into Anheuser-Busch InBev's portfolio by 2020, aligning with key wholesale partners and meeting all seed launch metrics.
Strategic Partnerships: Secured an exclusive one-year partnership with WeWork, becoming the sole provider of kombucha on draft across all 43 NYC locations.
Impactful Cause Marketing: Led a 360 marketing campaign for International Women’s Day, increasing sales by 25% and raising over $5,000 for the nonprofit Catalyst.
US Brand Director | STOLEN RUM | New York, NY 2013 – 2015
Spearheaded the strategic launch of STOLEN RUM into the US market, managing a comprehensive integrated marketing plan that established the brand as a leader in the premium aged rum category. My responsibilities encompassed overseeing the US P&L, building and managing a high-performing team, providing strategic direction and support to ensure execution of marketing strategies and sales objectives.
Established new product category and unique value proposition by repositioning brand as the “World’s First Smoked Rum”, a strategic move that differentiated Stolen Rum from traditional spiced rums.
Crafted and executed a brand identity that positioned Stolen Rum as a counterculture lifestyle brand. This involved strategic partnerships, public relations, and leveraging social media and influencer marketing to elevate brand awareness and forge emotional connections with consumers.
Developed and managed a brand ambassador program that deepened account relationships and significantly boosted sales in strategic markets through targeted on-premise promotions and placements.
Key Accomplishments:
Revenue Growth and Acquisition: Achieved an impressive 150% growth YoY, leading to the brand's acquisition by Liquid Asset Brands / Spirit Investment Partners in November 2015.
Event Marketing Impact: Activated over 50 high-visibility event sponsorships across major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, and orchestrated more than 100 on-premise sampling events, generating over 20,000 consumer trials within six months.
Digital and Influencer Marketing Excellence: Developed global brand standards and launched innovative influencer seedling kits, significantly enhancing digital presence and engagement. This unified strategy propelled Instagram and Facebook followers by 81% and 59% respectively, while boosting response rates by 50%.
Group Account Director – Digital & Influencer Marketing | MIRRORBALL | New York, NY 2009 – 2013
Spearheaded the creation of the Digital and Influencer Marketing Department at MIRRORBALL, an agency focused on consumer engagement and experiential marketing. Successfully launched and led campaigns for notable brands including Hpnotiq/Harmonie, Perrier, Espolon Tequila, Amstel Light, Auchentoshan, Pernod Absinthe, Berocca, and L’Oréal Advanced Hair Care.
As the founder and leader of a 12-person department that contributed 25% of the agency’s total annual revenue, I demonstrated effective leadership in recruiting, developing, and managing a high-performing team tailored to exceed client expectations. My strategic oversight involved pitching and expanding business, upselling services, and managing large-scale budgets and P&L.
Key Accomplishments:
Global Impact with Societè Perrier: Launched a multi-platform experiential and digital program in 21 cities worldwide, significantly boosting online engagement with 250K monthly uniques, increasing Facebook followers by 300%, and surpassing sales and brand awareness goals.
Brand Transformation for Hpnotiq: Re-engineered brand positioning to target fashion-forward, club-going women, leading to Hpnotiq becoming the #1 selling liquor in the US. The "Live Louder" campaign encompassed digital, print, influencer engagement, and high-profile events, generating over 450 million impressions and extensive media coverage, including on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".
Technical Account Manager | YAHOO | New York, NY 2006 – 2009
Media Operations & Technology Specialist | DIGITAS | New York, NY 2006 – 2008
AFFILIATIONS & AWARDS
Community Scientist, Billion Oyster Party | Member, Times Up Advertising Committee | Brand Ambassador, Women of the Vine & Spirits | Speaker / Panelist, Miami Ad School, SheSays, and Fab NY
EDUCATION
BS, Marketing / Business Information Systems | WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA