Tony Jacobs to head Topps’ candy business
Promotion acknowledges effort in making Global Confectionery Brands Division a leader in novelties.
New York City-based The Topps Co. Inc., a leading creator of confectionery, sports cards and entertainment products, has promoted Tony Jacobs to president of Topps’ Global Confectionery Brands Division.
In his new position, Jacobs will remain focused on the advancement and evolution of Topps’ Bazooka Candy Brands global confectionery portfolio. He will continue to report directly to Michael Brandstaedter, president and ceo of The Topps Co. Inc.
“Tony and his team have continued to deliver strong growth that has outpaced the category year after year, driven by breakthrough innovation and sales and marketing excellence,” Brandstaedter says. “Tony has delivered results that have been critical to driving Topps’ overall success, and I am confident his relentless commitment to building Topps confectionery business will lead to even greater success moving forward.”
As president of Topps Global Confectionary Brands, Jacobs will continue to lead a worldwide team of more than 200 members in driving all aspects of the Topps Confectionery business, including marketing, product development, sales, operations and finance.
Jacobs has been instrumental in fueling the expansion of this portfolio, which has been growing at more than 10 percent for the last two years in the United States and is seeing rapid growth in international markets, including Brazil, Spain, South Korea and the Middle East. During his tenure, Topps’ has risen to become the No. 8 non-chocolate candy company in the United States and the leader in novelty candy products, the company says, citing IRI data.
“I am honored to take on this role which is a testament to the hard work, passion, and creative spirit of Topps’ global confectionery team,” Jacobs says. “I’m excited to continue to work with this talented group to further drive the incredible growth and success we’ve had over the past several years.”
Jacobs also plays an active role in helping to advance the overall U.S. confectionery industry. He has been an active member of the National Confectioners Association, serving on the Board of Trustees for the last three years and is currently chairman of the association’s Political Action Committee.
Preceding this promotion, Jacobs held the title of Global General Manager, Topps’ Confectionery since March 2013. Prior to joining Topps, Jacobs worked for more than a decade in marketing roles at Nabisco, Unilever and The Dr Pepper Snapple Group. A native of New Jersey, Jacobs earned his B.A. in political science from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.
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