Jill McVicar Nelson has been appointed chief marketing officer of Dunkin’, filling a role that had been vacant since Rafael Acevedo departed in March.

Nelson joined Dunkin’ in 2011 and most recently served as VP of marketing strategy. In that role she led innovation including the introduction of iced beverages such as Dunkin’ Refreshers and Cold Brew with Cold Foam; and foods like avocado toast, according to Dunkin’ parent company Inspire Brands. Nelson was also a key architect of the chain’s “Blueprint for Growth” strategic plan, which launched in 2017.

As CMO, Nelson will guide advertising, brand marketing, field marketing, strategic planning, product innovation, commercialization and digital marketing. She will report to Scott Murphy, president and head of the beverage-snack category at Dunkin’.

“Jill’s intricate knowledge of the Dunkin’ business and understanding of product trends and consumer behaviors will help us continue to define the brand’s future growth strategy,” Murphy said in a statement.

Nelson began her career in public sector consulting with IBM Global Business Services. She joined Dunkin’ Brands in 2011 as a member of the business analytics finance team. Nelson left the company in 2014 to earn an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and returned to Dunkin’ in 2016. In 2019, she was promoted to director of corporate strategy.

Acevedo, a former Coca-Cola executive, served as CMO at Dunkin’ for less than a year. The brand underwent a creative review shortly after he arrived that led to Anomaly being named its new creative agency of record in November.

Anomaly’s charge has been to modernize the chain's “America Runs on Dunkin’” brand ethos. 

Dunkin’ has more than 12,600 franchised restaurants in 40 countries.