New York City Metropolitan Area, United States, May 2026 — The HEINEKEN Company has appointed Ruchika Khattar as Senior Director, Trade and Customer Marketing, where she will lead trade and customer marketing for Heineken USA. Khattar brings nearly two decades of experience across brand management, shopper marketing, commercial strategy, customer marketing, innovation and portfolio development.
Before joining HEINEKEN, Khattar spent 17 years with PepsiCo, building a career across customer marketing, brand innovation, commercial strategy and global portfolio leadership. Most recently, she served as Marketing Director, Walmart, a role she held from March 2022 to April 2026. In this position, she led customer-focused marketing initiatives for one of PepsiCo’s most important retail relationships.
Prior to that, Khattar served as Director, Commercial Marketing and Sales Strategy, Starbucks RTD Coffee, where she worked on commercial marketing and portfolio growth for the ready-to-drink coffee business. Her earlier PepsiCo roles included Senior Marketing Manager for Stubborn Soda and the CSD/Hydration Portfolio, Global Brand Manager for Lay’s Innovation, Global Brand Manager for Sun Chips and the Better-for-You portfolio, and Associate Brand Manager for Kurkure Innovation & Activation.
Khattar’s career at PepsiCo began in customer and brand marketing roles in India. She served as Customer Marketing Manager, Emerging Channels and Assistant Brand Manager for Aquafina & Slice, gaining experience across shopper marketing, integrated campaigns, emerging channels and consumer brand development. She also served as Co-Chair of the PepsiCo Asian Network, contributing to internal engagement and inclusion initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Khattar worked with ITC Limited as Retail Marketing Manager and completed a summer internship with Unilever on Project Shakti. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Her move to HEINEKEN brings together deep experience across customer marketing, commercial strategy and brand building in the consumer goods sector.
About The HEINEKEN Company
The HEINEKEN Company is a global brewer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 500 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders.
HEINEKEN operates across more than 90 countries and employs over 90,000 people worldwide. The company focuses on long-term brand investment, innovation, disciplined sales execution and sustainability through its Brew a Better World strategy.
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