Christy Lebor

Bio

Christy Lebor

Partner & Head of Brand Development, SmashBrand

Christy Lebor is a Partner and Head of Brand Development at SmashBrand, a premier brand development agency championing the FMCG space. With two decades of Fortune 500 CPG experience, Christy harnesses her background from industry titans to infuse brands with a growth trajectory that transitions them from category disruptors to legacy brands.

Her portfolio includes:

Brand management roles at global giants: Kraft, PepsiCo, and Unilever.
Launching pivotal products: Axe Body Wash in the US and the original Dove Campaign for Real Beauty at Unilever.
Steering innovative product lines at PepsiCo: Gatorade chews, protein bars, Mio Fit, and Amino Energy.
Pioneering breakfast innovations at KraftHeinz: Just Crack an Egg
Leading the branded business segment and global innovation at JBS, the world's largest meat company in the world.

Prior to her tenure at SmashBrand, Christy's track record spans various senior management and development roles. Each role has honed her expertise in the intricacies of FMCG, enabling her to cultivate category advantages for brands. From SKU rationalization to directing pivotal innovation stage gates, Christy's acute expertise in FMCG has consistently placed her at the forefront of the industry. Her ability to make incisive, strategically sound decisions has been key in propelling brands to market leadership.

Her philosophy pivots on the principle that timely, relevant data, integrated with brand strategy, is the linchpin for brands aspiring to scale and establish market dominance. At SmashBrand, Christy intricately weaves this philosophy, ensuring brands are not just strategically poised but holistically developed.

Educationally, Christy is equipped with a BBA from The University of Michigan Business School, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and additional prowess in Private Equity and Venture Capital from Harvard Business School.

Articles by Christy Lebor

This In-Store Display Shows How to Keep a Legacy Brand Thriving

Old El Paso could’ve faded into irrelevance, but instead, in-store displays like this are one reason this legacy brand really has staying power. This retail walk-through spots an in-aisle execution that gets everything right: bold branding, playful claims, and standout visuals that drive appetite.

Here’s why Hidden Valley Launched This Format Extension

Hidden Valley isn’t chasing new households here, they’re engineering more consumption from existing ones. This upside-down squeeze bottle is less about convenience (although it’s certainly a selling point), it’s a buy-rate multiplier. Watch this video to see how performance-led innovation with a clear business case can drive incremental usage without diluting core equity.

Inside P&G’s Category Premiumization Strategy with Tide Evo

At 53¢ per wash, Evo detergent is nearly double the price of a Tide pod and triple that of liquid. But walk into Walmart, and it’s the first thing you see.

Why Mrs. Meyers Lost This Customer and What Variety Packs Get Wrong

When club retailers open the door for a variety pack, choose your lineup wisely as one polarizing flavor can kill the entire basket.In this episode of Shopping with Christy, we break down why one off-putting scent can tank a great product lineup. Using Mrs. Meyer’s 4-pack as a real-world case study, Christy highlights how variety packs must stay within consumer expectations—or risk losing the sale.

Mary Ruth’s packaging is clearly not built for the chaos of retail

MaryRuth’s has great shelf placement, but you’d never know it with bottles turned sideways and shipping labels slapped over the front. This is what happens when design doesn’t account for real-world execution. Would your brand survive this?

When Cereal Becomes Art And Branding Becomes Culture

What happens when consumer culture meets fine art? At Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, KAWS reimagines General Mills’ Monster Cereals showing us the power of nostalgia. In this video, Christy explores how CPG brands can transcend the aisle and shape cultural memory.