Summary: Maria Ersilia Luciani has been appointed Head of Marketing Premium Chocolate – APAC-MEA at Ferrero. With over two decades of global marketing experience across regions and categories, she now leads the premium chocolate agenda across Asia, India, Middle East, Africa and Australia, marking another milestone in her long-standing career with the company.
Maria Ersilia Luciani has taken on a pivotal new role at Ferrero, stepping in as Head of Marketing Premium Chocolate – APAC-MEA, where she will steer the marketing vision and execution for one of the company’s most strategically significant categories across a vast and diverse geography. Her appointment underscores Ferrero’s continued focus on strengthening its premium chocolate portfolio across Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia—regions that are witnessing evolving consumer tastes and growing appetite for high-quality confectionery experiences.
Luciani announced her new position on LinkedIn, sharing her enthusiasm for leading the full marketing agenda for the Premium Chocolate category across APAC-MEA. The move marks another significant milestone in a career that has spanned more than 20 years, much of it deeply intertwined with Ferrero’s global growth journey.
Her transition into this role comes after serving as Head of Marketing, Biscuits and Bakery – APAC-MEA since January 2025, based in Luxembourg. In that capacity, she led the marketing strategy for the Biscuits and Bakery category across Asia, India, the Middle East, Australia, and Africa, shaping go-to-market strategies and aligning regional execution with global brand objectives. Her experience in managing cross-category portfolios across culturally and economically diverse markets positions her strongly to take on the premium chocolate mandate.
Prior to leading the biscuits and bakery business in APAC-MEA, Luciani held the position of Global Marketing Manager – Premium Chocolate from September 2020 to February 2025. In this global role, also based in Luxembourg, she was instrumental in shaping the overarching strategy for Ferrero’s premium chocolate brands worldwide. Her responsibilities included portfolio direction, brand building, innovation pipelines, and ensuring cohesive global positioning across markets.
Her earlier tenure as Area Marketing Manager for the Americas from July 2015 to August 2020 marked a critical chapter in her leadership journey. Overseeing the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America, Luciani managed a €600 million revenue portfolio within the Premium Chocolate category. The role demanded a nuanced understanding of consumer behaviour across mature and emerging markets, as well as strong commercial acumen to drive sustained growth. Managing such a significant revenue base also meant navigating competitive pressures, evolving retail landscapes, and dynamic consumer trends—experiences that will serve her well in the equally complex APAC-MEA region.
Before her Americas assignment, Luciani worked as Head of Marketing in Luxembourg from February 2012 to June 2015, overseeing markets including Israel, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. In this role, she led regional marketing strategies and ensured alignment with Ferrero’s global vision while tailoring campaigns to local market realities. The experience sharpened her ability to balance global brand stewardship with local market responsiveness—an essential skill for her new cross-continental mandate.
Luciani’s exposure to emerging markets began even earlier in her career. From September 2007 to February 2012, she served as Area Senior Brand Manager – Emerging Markets. During this period, she coordinated marketing strategies across Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East, India, and South America. Her responsibilities included developing strategic plans, leading portfolio development and product launches, managing profit and loss statements, setting pricing strategies, and aligning local initiatives with overarching group guidelines. This role not only expanded her geographical purview but also strengthened her expertise in handling diverse consumer segments and distribution ecosystems.
Her journey at Ferrero began in July 2005 as Brand Manager, where she oversaw Central Asian and Caucasus markets, including Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. In those early years, she handled marketing planning, media strategies, brand launches, consumer research, and below-the-line activities. These foundational experiences provided her with a ground-level understanding of brand building in markets with varying degrees of maturity and infrastructure, shaping her into a well-rounded marketing leader.
Luciani’s professional path before Ferrero also reflects her analytical grounding and international exposure. Between September 2002 and March 2003, she worked at the European Parliament within the Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services. There, she conducted research on EU-ACP cooperation and supported parliamentary committee activities in Brussels and Strasbourg. Although her tenure in public policy was relatively brief, the experience likely contributed to her global outlook and understanding of cross-border economic and regulatory frameworks.
Her return to lead the Premium Chocolate category across APAC-MEA comes at a time when premiumization remains a strong trend in the confectionery industry. Consumers across Asia and the Middle East are increasingly seeking indulgent yet sophisticated offerings, while markets in Africa and Australia present their own growth opportunities and cultural nuances. Navigating this complexity requires not only marketing expertise but also sensitivity to local consumer insights, channel dynamics, and brand heritage—areas where Luciani brings considerable depth.
Ferrero’s premium chocolate portfolio holds a distinctive position in many of these markets, combining heritage, quality, and innovation. Under Luciani’s leadership, the focus is expected to remain on reinforcing brand equity, accelerating innovation, and driving consistent yet locally relevant storytelling across regions. Her track record of managing large-scale portfolios and aligning regional strategies with global ambitions suggests a balanced approach that blends creativity with commercial discipline.
As Ferrero continues to expand its footprint across high-growth territories, leadership continuity combined with fresh strategic vision will be crucial. Luciani’s two-decade journey within the organisation—spanning brand management, regional leadership, and global oversight—offers precisely that blend. Her appointment signals both trust in her capabilities and a broader strategic emphasis on strengthening premium chocolate leadership across one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions.
With deep institutional knowledge, cross-continental experience, and a history of steering complex portfolios, Maria Ersilia Luciani now stands at the helm of Ferrero’s Premium Chocolate marketing strategy for APAC-MEA—ready to shape the next chapter of growth for the category across emerging and established markets alike.
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