Ex-PepsiCo Design Chief Mauro Porcini Joins Samsung as Head of Design
Samsung Electronics has appointed Mauro Porcini, former PepsiCo chief design officer, as Executive Vice President and Head of Design for its mobile experience business. The move signals Samsung’s intent to sharpen its consumer-focused innovation with deeper design thinking—an approach well-recognized in the FMCG sector for driving differentiation and customer loyalty.
Porcini, who stepped down from PepsiCo in early 2024 after an acclaimed 12-year tenure, will lead design strategy across Samsung’s mobile products, including flagship smartphones, tablets, and wearables. His scope will encompass both hardware and software interface design, advancing an integrated user experience across the brand ecosystem.
At PepsiCo, Porcini played a pivotal role in embedding design-led principles across a diverse portfolio of global consumer brands like Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Tropicana. He revamped packaging, activated experiential branding, and spearheaded innovation labs that linked product development more closely to evolving consumer lifestyles. His impact underscored how design can be a strategic growth driver in FMCG, not just an aesthetic function.
The hire suggests that Samsung is increasingly viewing product design as a critical lever for brand equity—mirroring trends seen in packaged goods, where design influences purchase decisions on the shelf as much as product functionality. Mobile device markets, like FMCG, face margin pressure and commoditization, making emotional resonance and usability key differentiators.
Porcini’s appointment comes at a time when Samsung is actively positioning itself at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and experiential design—areas familiar to Porcini’s work at PepsiCo. His mandate aligns with broader industry movements toward consumer-centric innovation, where brand storytelling, form-factor appeal, and design consistency are viewed as essential to attracting and retaining loyal customers.
For FMCG professionals, Porcini’s shift underscores the growing convergence between tech and consumer-packaged goods design philosophies. As expectations for seamless, emotionally intelligent user experiences grow—whether in a snack aisle or a smartphone screen—design leadership is emerging as a cornerstone of both sectors’ competitive strategies.