Dragon Rouge, the international brand consultancy, has added two high-level executives in its New York office.

Karen Smith has joined the Dragon Rouge team as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Innovation. In this new position, Karen will be supervising and building the consumer branding practice across brand strategy, innovation and client development.

Photo: Karen Smith

Most recently, Karen held the position of VP, Strategy at CBX, a New York-based brand consultancy, driving brand positioning, visual strategy, innovation and retail activation initiatives for companies such as, PepsiCo, Kimberly-Clark, Del Monte, Georgia-Pacific and Boston Scientific. Prior to that, she held a number of brand innovation roles with other companies including Booz & Co., Coca-Cola, Sara Lee and Revlon.

“Karen has an incredible track record in brand strategy and making connections between brands, consumers and retailers that lead to insight-driven solutions with real-world applications,” says Eric Zeitoun, president, Dragon Rouge.

Photo: John Tanner

John Tanner is also joining Dragon Rouge in the new position of Executive Vice President, Business Development, responsible for new business and marketing activities. John brings 15 years of brand building experience and has developed partnerships with brands in the U.S. and internationally.

Prior to joining Dragon Rouge, John led business development efforts at CBX in New York and San Francisco, where he helped more than double company revenues. Before CBX, John held business development and account management positions at Sterling Brands, LAGA and The Coleman Group. Throughout his career, he has worked with companies and brands around the world including Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Kimberly-Clark, PepsiCo, and Campbell’s.

“John’s passion, experience, and knowledge of diverse industries will help Dragon Rouge continue on its path of growth and innovation,” says Zeitoun.