CREATOR of natural alternatives to single-use plastic, Xampla, has welcomed new Head of Marketing and Communications Katrina Curl to develop the company’s partnerships with customers and brands as it prepares to launch its first products.
Katrina joins Xampla with more than a decade’s experience in marketing and branding, having led the communications strategies of household names in FMCG, retail and tech.
She spent three years working with Unilever, delivering new purpose positioning, brand strategy and product launch campaigns for Surf across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Katrina has also worked with Britvic, leading an integrated campaign team to brand and bring to market Robinsons Refresh’d. The product was subsequently named the number one soft drinks innovation in 2017, according to Neilson data[1].
She honed her craft at top UK agencies including BBH London, Creature of London and DLKW Lowe, and joins Xampla from VCCP where she led the Canon account across EMEA, delivering brand strategy.
Xampla’s expert team has grown to more than 20 members after making its first hire in January 2020. Its continued growth follows funding rounds with leading tech investors Horizons Ventures and Amadeus Capital Partners.
The product of more than 15 years’ research at Cambridge University, Xampla’s plant protein material mimics the molecular structure of spider silk, creating a strong, flexible and entirely natural alternative to single-use plastic. It has applications in flexible films, microcapsules and coatings.
The company is now poised to engage its first customers, with Katrina playing a vital role in communicating Xampla’s brand and value proposition.
New Head of Marketing and Communications, Katrina Curl, said: “Xampla’s potential to have a global impact on plastic pollution is what drew me to join the team. Its material is the answer brands have been looking for, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to develop and lead the strategy that communicates this to our customer-base and beyond.”
Xampla CEO, Simon Hombersley, said: “There couldn’t be a better time for Katrina to have joined our team. She brings key expertise from her work with Unilever, Britvic and other FMCGs that will be crucial in showcasing what our material can do. We’re all looking forward to seeing the science behind our material come to life through Katrina’s work.”
For more information on Xampla visit: www.xampla.com
[1] https://www.slrmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Britvic-Soft-Drinks-Review-2017.pdf