Head of Brand Management Product a.i.
Name: Petra Hilber
Age: 47
Degree: lic. oec. publ.
Profession: Head of Brand Management Product a.i.
Employer: Rivella Group
Describe your job in one sentence.
I am responsible for strategic and operational brand development with a focus on the further development of our product portfolio, optimizing existing products and developing products.
What are the three main tasks in your job?
- Strategic portfolio management: Ensuring that our brand portfolio is positioned for the future – with the right products, for the right target groups, in the right market environment.
- Innovation and product development: Developing new products and concepts, refining existing ones, and guiding them through the innovation process in a structured manner – from needs analysis and consumer testing to market launch.
- Market and consumer orientation: Analyzing market trends, competitors, and consumer behaviour, identifying growth areas, and defining the source of business from which we want to grow.
What do you think is the best / most exciting thing about this job?
You actively shape the future of a brand. The innovation process is particularly exciting: observing consumer behaviour, developing new product ideas, testing concepts, tasting new recipes with the development department, designing packaging – and finally seeing the product on the shelf and being bought by consumers.
What is the biggest challenge in this job?
Innovation under economic pressure. You have to be brave enough to try new things, but at the same time ensure that the products are commercially viable.
What does it take to enter this profession or to be successful in it?
To be successful in this profession, you need a strong strategic understanding of brands and the ability to work in a structured manner. You have to know how to proceed systematically with new products: Which consumer needs do I want to address? What phase is the market in? And what source of business should the growth come from? Analytical skills and an affinity for numbers are also important, as many decisions are based on market analyses and business cases. Curiosity and a keen sense of consumer needs are also key. You should want to understand what really motivates people, how the market is developing, and which trends are becoming relevant. Teamwork and clear communication are also crucial when working with very different departments.
What promotion/further development opportunities are there?
In this role, there is the opportunity to develop towards overall responsibility for one or more brands. This means not only product development and portfolio management, but also communication management, trade marketing, and live marketing strategy.
What would you have liked to have known about this profession as a graduate?
That it's not just about convincing consumers. It's just as important to convince retail partners, because even the best product won't sell without shelf space. Brand management therefore always means thinking commercially and understanding retail as a key partner. Fortunately, thanks to my 15 years at Migros, I am very familiar with the retail mindset, which helps me a lot today.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in this job?
Gain experience in different companies or industries early on. Make sure you think not only creatively, but also entrepreneurially. And consciously question products, brands, and purchasing decisions in your everyday life; this will greatly sharpen your understanding of brands.
In terms of your career, is there anything you would do differently looking back? Why?
I would change jobs more often to get to know even more companies, business models, cultures, and people. In addition, gaining experience in an international environment as early as possible would have been exciting in order to understand markets even more broadly. Different perspectives accelerate your own development.
Is there anything else you would like to pass on to current students?
I never took a gap year, which is something I would do differently today. A year spent consciously gaining experience, traveling, or trying out different jobs can be extremely valuable. However, I did have the opportunity to spend a semester at an American university. This international experience was extremely valuable for me, both professionally and personally. It's important to take advantage of opportunities like this.
As of March 2026