Maria McManus: Vice President of Marketing & Innovation, Deep Indian Kitchen

Maria McManus, Vice President of Marketing & Innovation at Deep Indian Kitchen, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Maria is the Vice President of Marketing & Innovation at Deep Indian Kitchen and member of the brand’s leadership team.  She joined Deep 4.5 years ago to help lead the brand’s strategic, high-growth initiative, and has since seen the brand grow more than 5x and expand to over 22,000 doors.  Maria has 17 years of brand management and innovation experience in the CPG and retail industries across large and small companies like Unilever, Bai Brands (pre- and post-acquisition) and Target Corporation.  Maria holds a BA from George Washington University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.  She lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband and two children.

On a personal note:
I'm incredibly proud to be scaling the Deep Indian Kitchen brand while achieving break even (or better) returns on marketing investment and driving Deep Indian Kitchen to be the #1 fastest selling brand in Natural Frozen Entrees.  All of this, while being mom to two children under five years old keeps me on her toes!

Fun facts:
I’m a former trick water skier, completed the NYC marathon and loves to sail.  Oil painting, drawing and spending time with her family are her favorite ways to unwind.

Our favorite moments from this episode with Maria:

• Everything that we do has to have an impact. 
• Showing authenticity through product quality, copy, and visuals carries forward a brand's experiential essence.
• Getting the right team in place is critical for growing and scaling.