Communicator Spotlight: Nespresso's Jessica Padula
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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of Nespresso
As vice president of marketing and head of sustainability for Nespresso — an operating group within Nestlé — Jessica Padula is responsible for helping the coffee company stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
Why it matters: Padula says her job is to sell coffee by telling a holistic story that resonates with consumers — particularly those that skew younger.
🗣 What she's saying: "The next generation of consumers are fundamentally shopping for brands differently for so many reasons, but one of those reasons is an evolving definition of what sustainability means to them," she told Axios.
- "Yes, it's consumer demand. ... But at the end of the day, our sustainability work is a business differentiator. And so how do we get credit for things that we've been doing all along? We've been very humble and we know that we probably can't continue to be [that] in an increasingly competitive landscape," Padula added.
📍How she got here: Padula started her career in social and digital marketing and has managed campaigns for brands like Downy, Silk and Swarovski.
- She joined Nespresso in 2016, holding various social media and brand communications positions before taking over marketing and sustainability in 2023.
- "I think that my team sees me as someone who is in touch with what brands are doing even outside of the coffee [industry]. And it's because I really enjoy the social media space — that's where I grew up," says Padula.
🏗 How it's structured: Padula reports to North America CEO Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen and oversees a team of 35 who manage the Nespresso brand in the U.S.
📈 Trend watch: The power of building followings across social media — specifically Reddit for the espresso lovers.
- Yes, but: Nespresso still engages with the masses through traditional partnerships with George Clooney, Julia Garner and Simone Ashley.
🍽 Content plate: She spends her work commute listening to audiobooks like "Future Luxe" by Erwan Rambourg, and recently binged "Lessons in Chemistry" on Apple TV+.
🧠 Best advice: As a working mom of two kids — ages 5 and 2 — Padula's advice is to be intentional with your choices.
- "Every yes is a no to something else," she says. "We always talk about juggling and not dropping the ball. But you actually have to accept that you will drop balls in your life. The key is in any given moment knowing which ball it's OK to release — and it actually changes all the time depending on the factors in your life and your priorities."
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