Food tech unicorn NotCo has announced the appointment of Fernando Machado as its new chief marketing officer.

A veteran of Unilever, where he began his career as an intern and worked for 18 years, Machado will assume the post at NotCo in April.

The appointment – which fills the opening created by Flavia Buchmann’s departure – follows a two-year stint for Machado as CMO of gaming company Activision Blizzard. Prior to that, he spent seven years as chief marketeer at Burger King owner, Restaurant Brands International.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most beloved brands and am incredibly excited to now apply my creativity and decades of experience to the NotCo team,” said Machado.

“I’ve been a huge fan of the brand and its unique tech since it launched in the US a few years ago. The products are incredible, but I also believe wholeheartedly in what NotCo is working to achieve in the world. The culture of dreaming big and enacting real change that [CEO] Matias and the other leaders have built is admirable, and I’m truly looking forward to further propelling NotCo’s growth through cutting-edge and creative marketing.”

NotCo – which raised $70 million in Series D1 funding last year – uses “first-of-its-kind” proprietary artificial intelligence technology, named Giuseppe, to develop plant-based foods.

Giuseppe’s algorithms analyse thousands of plants in its database to come up with combinations that replicate the taste, feel and functional properties of animal-derived products.

“Our mission from the beginning has been to create a more sustainable world and transform the food industry by creating truly delicious plant-based foods,” said co-founder and CEO, Matias Muchnick.

“Fernando’s pedigree speaks for itself, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our leadership team. We’re confident that his ingenuity and passion for our mission will help accelerate our journey.”

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