Executive Evolution in Gastronomic Retail: Edgar Salgado Leads the New Stage of Vips in Mexico
Alsea has officially appointed Edgar Salgado as the General Director of Vips Mexico. The executive takes on the comprehensive leadership of the restaurant chain after having led its commercial and marketing strategy for more than three years, with a career spanning over two decades in mass consumption, gastronomy chains, and technology.
Career Within Alsea: From Italianni's to the Revitalization of Vips
The appointment represents an internal professional evolution within the operating group that Salgado joined in 2019. His journey within Alsea began as the marketing head of Italianni's between 2019 and 2022, during which he led initiatives in innovation, business intelligence, and omnichannel strategies. Under his management, the Italian food brand managed to recover about 96% of pre-pandemic sales levels in 2021 and recorded over 300% growth in delivery and take away channels compared to pre-crisis levels.
In 2022, he moved to the commercial and marketing direction of Vips Mexico, from where he drove brand positioning, innovation, and growth. His professional profile thus evolves from brand building to complete operational responsibility, encompassing profitability, customer experience, and omnichannel strategies of one of the oldest restaurant chains in the country.
Career in Mass Consumption: PepsiCo and Grupo Lala
Before joining Alsea, Salgado built a solid career in consumer corporations:
- PepsiCo (over 12 years): He served as Marketing Group Manager for children's brands such as Cheetos, Crujitos, and Churrumais, and later led the portfolio that included Doritos, Fritos, Rancheritos, Pizzerolas, and 3D's, which accounted for about 30% of Sabritas sales. He headed the global relaunch of Cheetos and the development of Flamin' Hot Cheetos in Mexico.
- Grupo Lala: He was in charge of marketing for cheese, dessert, butter, and beverage categories, in addition to leading the transition and commercial strategy for Nestlé's dairy product line within Lala's operation.
From the editorial perspective of next+, Edgar Salgado's appointment reflects a clear trend in the gastronomic retail industry in Mexico: the transition of commercial and marketing leaderships toward the general management of the business. In a highly competitive restaurant market where brand loyalty no longer relies solely on nostalgia, placing an executive trained in mass consumption and the acceleration of digital channels (delivery) at the forefront of Vips allows for aligning brand positioning with operational efficiency and profitability per unit. For Alsea, the central goal will be to rejuvenate Vips' offering without losing the essence that connects it with Mexican families, turning omnichannel strategies and market intelligence into sustainable growth engines.