Christine Malaguti
Christine Malaguti is the Founder and Chief Commercial Strategist of Amalgamated CPG, a consulting firm dedicated to accelerating growth for food and beverage brands in convenience and travel retail channels. With over 15 years of sales leadership experience across major CPG companies including KIND, ConAgra Foods, and Harvest Hill Beverage Company, she has consistently transformed commercial strategies into measurable results. What sets Christine apart is her ability to see beyond the numbers to the human stories that drive sustainable business growth, combining strategic rigor with authentic leadership that builds lasting partnerships.
A Leadership Journey Rooted in Clarity, Resilience, and the Courage to Show Up
Some leaders are shaped by boardrooms. Others are shaped by life. For Christine Malaguti, the moments that defined her leadership didn’t unfold behind podiums—they unfolded in the warm, bustling kitchen of her Nana’s Sunday dinners. Those gatherings taught her early that leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room; it’s about creating the table where everyone has a seat. Years later, as a senior CPG executive and founder of Amalgamated CPG, she would come to understand just how deeply those lessons prepared her for the work of leading people through seasons of pressure, growth, and reinvention.
Christine’s story is one of discipline, reinvention, courage, and service—shaped by the high-velocity world of consumer packaged goods and grounded in her belief that leadership is both commercial and deeply human. Her journey proves that growth happens not just in the numbers organizations chase, but in the people who drive them.
Foundation: The Making of a Leader Built for High-Velocity Markets
Christine’s trajectory into leadership began long before she held executive titles. Raised with a strong work ethic and an early exposure to resilience through her family’s story, she developed a drive that would become her hallmark. This determination carried her through her academic path, earning a BA in Political Science from the University at Albany and later advancing her education with a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University Global. In 2024, she further committed to advancing organizational systems by pursuing a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation at Purdue Global.
But while education built her intellectual foundation, it was her earliest professional experiences that sharpened her instincts and fueled her passion for commercial growth. At PepsiCo, where she began her career in customer-facing roles, Christine quickly learned that success in CPG isn’t just about product placement—it’s about reading people, understanding decision drivers, and creating strategic clarity in environments where speed is currency. Her work later at 3E Company expanded her exposure to complex operational and compliance landscapes, honing her ability to manage risk, build strong client relationships, and lead with accountability.
These formative roles shaped her into a leader who not only understands the mechanics of the business, but also understands the people who make the business move.
Ascent: Building Brands, Scaling Channels, and Leading with Precision
Christine’s rise through the CPG industry reflects a track record of measurable impact, innovation, and leadership. Across roles at ConAgra Foods, KIND, Century Snacks, and other leading CPG brands, she developed a reputation for designing strategies that work in high-velocity channels where precision, timing, and relationships determine success.
At KIND, she optimized trade spend by 50% and expanded distribution. At Century Snacks, she grew the travel channel by 33% and the convenience channel by 14%, building teams and infrastructure that supported sustainable growth. During her time with Bimbo Bakeries, she played a pivotal role in accelerating innovation launches and stabilizing distribution during the pandemic—leading through one of the most complex periods in modern CPG history. At Trilliant and Harvest Hill Beverage Company, she shaped national strategies across convenience, DSD, and foodservice channels, guiding multimillion-dollar portfolios with confidence, rigor, and deep industry insight.
Beyond her commercial accomplishments, Christine built a leadership brand defined by trust, transparency, and the ability to bring out the best in others. A colleague once wrote:
“Christine stood out as an exceptional leader, mentor, and colleague… She consistently brought valuable insights to the team and was someone I personally looked to for guidance—especially as a fellow woman in leadership.”
— Janay Escobedo, Director of Sales Operations
Another partner shared:
“I don’t know if I’ve crossed paths with a sales leader as thoughtful, generous with her time, and fearless in her leadership qualities as her… She’s the ultimate professional.”
— Jake Venchus, VP, Enterprise Sales
These reflections echo consistently across her career: Christine leads with clarity, conviction, and compassion—an uncommon and powerful trifecta.
Impact: Where Strategy Meets Heart
Christine’s leadership philosophy is rooted in clarity, accountability, and empathy. Her widely shared reflections reveal a leader willing to acknowledge the pressures of modern work while championing the value of presence and humanity. In one of her most resonant posts, she wrote:
“The economy isn’t just squeezing businesses. It’s squeezing people… Talking to a professional isn’t giving up. It’s gearing up.”
Another reflection—honoring her grandmother—captured her philosophy even more deeply:
“Leadership is not about being the loudest. It’s about creating the table where everyone has a seat.”
These principles have guided her through pivotal moments, including one that reshaped her approach entirely:
“A defining moment in my leadership came during a period when my team was stretched thin and the pressure was rising. Instead of pushing harder or pretending everything was fine, I paused a meeting and asked a simple question: ‘What do you need from me to make this work?’ The honesty that followed reshaped the entire project. It reminded me that leadership is not about having every answer but about listening, owning my part, and creating space for the right solutions to emerge. That moment became foundational to the way I lead today: with clarity, accountability, and a deep respect for the people doing the work.”
This is where Christine’s strategic mind and her human-centered approach meet—where strategy truly meets heart.
The Next Chapter: Consulting, Coaching & Community Leadership
Today, as Founder of Amalgamated CPG, Christine advises emerging and mid-sized brands across the high-velocity convenience channel. She helps founders and executive teams clarify their go-to-market strategies, strengthen their commercial capabilities, and create the systems required for scale.
She also coaches mid- and senior-level professionals navigating transitions, leadership development, and career clarity—supporting leaders during seasons of change with the same empathy and steadiness that have defined her own journey.
Her leadership also extends beyond business.
Her leadership now extends beyond the business world into community engagement, reflecting a continued commitment to supporting families, education, and long-term growth.
And to support her long-term vision, Christine continues her academic work:
“I am also completing my Doctorate in Leadership & Innovation, deepening my research in transformative leadership, authentic mentorship, and the intersection of strategy and humanity.”
Together, these threads reveal a leader not only building a business—but shaping a broader impact across industry, education, and community.
Leading With Heart: The Legacy Christine Is Creating
Christine’s legacy is not measured solely in revenue growth or channel expansion—it is reflected in the people she has mentored, the leaders she has developed, and the communities she serves. Her journey reminds us that leadership is both powerful and deeply human, shaped by resilience, accountability, and the courage to evolve.
She says it best herself:
“For me, leadership is about leaving every table—whether in business or community—better than I found it.”
Editorial Note
Christine’s story offers a powerful lesson for leaders navigating today’s demanding and fast-moving world: lead with clarity, stay human in your approach, and allow each season—whether pushing or shaping—to build the leader you are becoming. Her work continues to influence brands, leaders, and communities across the country, reminding us that the most impactful leadership is the kind rooted not only in strategy, but in heart.
