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

I wanted to buy this. The packaging talked me out of it.

Sometimes the product is right, the occasion is right, and the shopper is ready to buy, but the packaging kills the sale. This handheld cheesecake has plenty going for it: convenience, portionability, and a familiar dessert consumers already love. But the packaging creates uncertainty. The retro-inspired graphics can read as dated rather than nostalgic, the…

Dove x Bridgerton Shows Up in the Core Set. Here’s Why…

The best limited-edition collaborations do more than borrow attention. They strengthen what the brand already stands for. Dove x Bridgerton works because the partnership feels naturally connected to the product experience. The fragrance-forward assortment, botanical illustrations, and English-garden aesthetic reinforce ideas of pampering, indulgence, and self-care all relevant cues for body wash. That makes the…

Shopping Sunscreen by Fragrance? H-E-B Nailed It!

Private label packaging doesn’t have to look generic, and H-E-B’s sun care line proves it. The system grabs attention with bold color and fragrance-led graphics while still communicating the category quickly. SPF 50 is prominent, and the familiar spray format immediately signals sunscreen. That gives the brand room to make fragrance a differentiator, with options…

Why Rao’s Soup Misses the Mark on This Packaging Design.

Brand extension can be a powerful growth strategy, but only if it’s executed with clarity. In this case, the transition from pasta sauce into soup creates confusion rather than differentiation. The biggest issue is visual overlap. Using the same jar, color palette, and overall look as the pasta sauce line makes it difficult to immediately…

This Retail Display Tells You Everything About a Brand in Trouble

When packaging starts working against the brand, it shows up quickly, especially on the shelf. In this case, the execution creates confusion instead of clarity. The most immediate issue is readability. If shoppers can’t quickly identify the brand name or fully read the tagline, the pack loses its primary job: recognition. “Thirst’s worst” is a…

Why This Parent and CPG Marketer Secretly Loves This “White” Bread

Sometimes the most powerful packaging change is verbal. A single line of copy can unlock the entire value proposition. In this case, the product already solved a real consumer tension: the desire for healthier bread that still feels and tastes like white bread. But previously, that benefit was implied rather than stated. Shoppers had to…