GNC Promotes Rachel Jones to SVP, Chief Product Innovation and Science Officer | RIS News
Nearly 20-year GNC veteran Rachel Jones is taking on the role of senior vice president, chief product innovation and science officer following an internal promotion.
Jones will be managing a cross-functional team of 40 associates, along with collaborating with leading researchers, scientists, toxicologists, statisticians, and universities. Additionally, she will be overseeing the company’s innovation strategy across four major areas. These include product design and development, product brand strategy, scientific affairs, and GNCX innovations.
In the role, Jones will create and manage a global innovation roadmap, overseeing the development, research and testing of products across 20-plus private brands. She will also work on strategically positioning the company’s owned product brands such as Concept X. Jones will also be overseeing a team of technical experts that ensure the safety and efficacy of ingredients, tech, and formulations. Lastly, Jones will direct the company’s in-house trials for new brands and products.
“I’m excited to tackle the opportunities that exist for GNC as a business today and set us up for continued success in the future,” Jones said. “We continue to identify new products and opportunities to deliver on our mission of Living Well through industry-leading products and ingredients that help our consumers achieve their goals.”
In her time at the company Jones has created an integrated product innovation function which includes product design and development, product brand strategy, and scientific affairs functions.
She joined GNC in 2004 as the company’s project manager within the innovation, research, and development sector. Since then, she has also led the development of more than 2,000 GNC brand products, working within the brand’s international group to manage products and services across 65 countries. And she has been involved in more than 35 clinical studies on GNC formulations in multivitamins, weight management, and sports nutrition.
According to Karlyn Mattson, EVP, chief merchandising officer at GNC, Jones is one of the most influential leaders at GNC.
“Her role naturally lends itself to cross-disciplinary collaboration, but her team-first mentality enables us to achieve our goals and build community,” Mattson added. “Elevating her into this position creates an even deeper connection between our products, consumers, and business strategy to help more people Live Well. We know Rachel is the right person for this role at such an important inflection point in our business and are proud to call her part of the GNC team.”
Yong Kai Wong, executive vice chairman at GNC, said the company is focused on deepening its innovation and inclusive community of leaders, and Jones’ leadership has allowed them to build an “incredible internal team.”
“She will continue to drive forward our consumer-centric brand and product roadmap that is grounded in research, trends, and testing, as we seek ways to drive the market forward,” Kai Wong added.