Universal Robina Corp. (URC), the food and beverage arm of the Gokongwei Group, has appointed Anna Milagros “Mian” David as the first president of its local Branded Consumer Foods (BCF) business.

In a statement on Thursday, David said she will lead strategic initiatives to reinforce URC’s market leadership, enhance consumer value, and sustain business growth.

“We want to focus on driving topline growth and market share. And we will do that by remembering our mission: To delight the people we serve,” David said.

David joined URC in 2018 as vice president for beverages, where she spearheaded the revival of Great Taste coffee and reengineered the C2 portfolio, boosting both volume growth and profitability.

Under her leadership, C2 cemented its position as the dominant brand in the ready-to-drink tea market. She later took on the snack foods segment, further widening URC’s market share lead in snacks, cookies, chocolates, and candies, where the company holds the top position.

Before she was appointed BCF president, David served as managing director for URC International and chief marketing officer.

Over the past two years, she led URC International to incremental revenue growth and double-digit operating margins. New product launches in the last three years contributed over 8 percent of URCI’s incremental sales.

Household name in Vietnam

In Vietnam, C2 became the second-largest player in the ready-to-drink tea market, achieving multiple years of high double-digit growth.

URC also strengthened its dominance in biscuits, maintaining its leadership in Thailand and expanding its presence in Malaysia.