[Meet the Members] Bruno Cardinali: from Unilever to Oakberry, a global journey of brand and connections

Curious, observant, and passionate about understanding human behavior, Bruno Cardinali always knew marketing would be his path. A graduate in Advertising with an MBA in Business and Marketing, he began his career in one of his dream jobs: Unilever, where he stayed for 15 years. There, he experienced what he calls a true “marketing academy,” alternating between global innovation roles and local management across different categories and countries.

Those years shaped both his strategic and practical vision. “At Unilever, you never do the same thing for very long. You move between categories, markets, and challenges. That gave me a strong foundation in branding and innovation as well as in business management. I spent much of my time in regional and global projects, but I also led local marketing operations, where I managed sales, pricing, forecasting, and results as part of an integrated marketing approach,” he recalls.

His international experience took him to Mexico, Australia, and later the United States, where he worked on a joint venture with Pepsi. Later, he took over marketing for Burger King in Latin America and then became CMO for the Americas at Popeyes, leading brand expansion and positioning strategies. In 2018, he moved to Miami, which would become not only his professional base but also a hub of future connections.

After a sabbatical period to reconnect with new purposes, Bruno found in Oakberry a project that brought together the best of both worlds: a young brand with global potential, but still open to experimentation and building.

The Oakberry challenge

Today, as Global CMO at Oakberry, he leads the positioning of one of the fastest-growing Brazilian companies internationally. Founded in 2016, the açaí quick service chain already has more than 900 stores in 50 countries, establishing itself as a lifestyle brand rather than just a healthy food option.

“In large corporations, the structure often keeps you away from the day-to-day. At Oakberry, there’s room to create from scratch — digital, brand architecture, store design, customer experience. It’s a young brand, in full growth, and that gives me the chance to do much more than just manage processes,” he explains.

The main challenge, he says, is balancing scale and experience. Oakberry invests in a fully verticalized production chain — with its own factory in Pará, Brazil, to guarantee the quality of the açaí — and in marketing strategies that combine global consistency with local adaptation. “It’s not just about selling the product, it’s about delivering a lifestyle, an experience that makes sense in New York, Paris, or São Paulo,” he sums up.

Miami as a hub

Based in Miami since 2018, Bruno has closely followed the city’s transformation. “Miami has changed a lot. It used to be seen mainly as a Latin or leisure destination, but today it attracts executives, technology companies, and major US players. It has moved from being ‘South Beach’ to becoming a competitive, hybrid, and culturally diverse business ecosystem.”

This shift, he points out, has created opportunities for Brazilian executives and entrepreneurs. “At first, it was hard to even convince someone to move to Miami. Today, the city has been rediscovered by Americans, gained a reputation as a business hub, and offers a much more competitive and promising environment,” he explains.

Connection with Experience Club US

It was in this context that Bruno connected with the Experience Club US, initially through friends in common with CEO Marcelo Goulart. After attending events such as the CMO Summit, he saw the value of the network and began contributing as a member of the Advisory Board.

“My contribution is to bring the perspective of someone who has been living in the US market for almost a decade. Many Brazilian companies arrive here with successful cases but don’t always manage to adapt. The Experience Club creates this environment of genuine exchange, where executives share lessons learned and avoid costly mistakes. This network is unique because it connects people who have already faced the same challenges,” he says.

Vision of the future

When talking about the future, Bruno acknowledges that technology will be decisive, but he emphasizes the importance of human experience. “There’s a huge transformation happening, and those who don’t develop the right capabilities will fall behind. But I don’t believe in catastrophes: artificial intelligence won’t replace what is real. Storytelling, authentic narratives, and human experiences will remain fundamental. In marketing, that’s what truly connects people and brands.”

For him, the greatest asset in the coming years will be the ability to create authentic experiences, combining data, technology, and creativity. A perspective that connects his personal and professional journey — and perfectly summarizes his contribution to Experience Club US: turning connections into opportunities and stories into real impact.