Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Rodríguez-Mahé.
Hi Rich, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts in Miami. I was born and raised here, educated at Belen Jesuit and later the University of Miami, where I earned a BBA in Marketing. Miami shaped the way I think about brands—diverse, ambitious, resourceful, and deeply entrepreneurial. Wanting to further develop both my strategic and leadership perspective, I went on to earn my MBA from Rollins College.
After graduate school, I spent nearly 20 years at PepsiCo, holding leadership roles across Marketing, Consumer Insights, and Innovation. Those years were a masterclass in how world-class consumer packaged goods brands are built—from deeply understanding consumers, to translating insights into growth strategies, to executing with discipline at scale. From 2015 to 2020, I led a Direct-to-Consumer venture within PepsiCo, gaining hands-on experience building and operating a business end-to-end in a fast-moving, test-and-learn environment.
I later spent four years at Frito-Lay North America overseeing a $1B portfolio of Better-for-You snack brands, including SunChips, Baked, Simply, and Smartfood popcorn. That role reinforced a core belief that continues to guide my work today: growth doesn’t come from creativity alone—it comes from pairing creativity with clear strategy, strong processes, and operational rigor.
In 2024, I founded átomos, a fractional CMO and strategic marketing consultancy, with a clear mission: to deliver effective, efficient marketing leadership to Food & Beverage and CPG brands by leveraging proven big-CPG playbooks. I saw a consistent gap—brands at different stages of growth faced similar strategic challenges, but access to senior marketing leadership varied dramatically depending on size, structure, and ownership.
Since launching átomos, I’ve worked with Food & Beverage and CPG brands across the U.S. and beyond, spanning founder-led companies, growth-stage businesses, and private equity–backed organizations. Our client work covers a wide range of categories, business models, and growth contexts; the examples below represent a snapshot of that work, not the full scope of our partnerships.
We led a brand refresh for Chifles, America’s #1 plantain chip brand; supporting their first-ever trade show; and helped build internal marketing capability through strategic planning, recruitment, and training. We’ve partnered with founders starting with little more than an idea, as well as with private equity–backed Food & Beverage brands navigating repositioning, portfolio complexity, and accelerated growth. We’ve also helped DTC food ventures sharpen their branding, positioning, and messaging to support scale.
While átomos is rooted in Miami, we partner with brands nationally, embedding wherever experienced marketing leadership is needed.
At its core, my story is about bringing world-class strategy home—helping Food & Beverage and CPG brands grow with clarity, confidence, and intention by combining senior-level experience with a deeply human understanding of consumers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Throughout my career, I’ve learned to navigate the tension between scale and speed, and between clarity and complexity. In large consumer packaged goods organizations, one of the biggest challenges was driving decisive brand growth inside layered environments—where alignment across teams, functions, and stakeholders often lagged behind opportunity. Progress required not just strong strategy, but the ability to simplify complexity and move organizations forward with confidence.
At the same time, I’ve always operated biculturally—living and working within the Latino consumer world while also building brands for the broader general market. That experience taught me how easily nuance, identity, and authentic consumer insight can be diluted at scale. It also reinforced the importance of empathy and cultural fluency when translating consumer truth into strategy that resonates broadly without losing its core.
Later, in building átomos, the challenge shifted. The obstacle became earning trust quickly—demonstrating that senior-level marketing leadership could be delivered through a more flexible, fractional CMO model while still producing real momentum and measurable impact. Many organizations initially associate “fractional” with distance or limited engagement; we had to prove, through action, that our model is embedded, accountable, and execution-oriented.
Across both chapters, I’ve consistently worked to bridge worlds: corporate and entrepreneurial, data and intuition, vision and execution. Those challenges directly shaped átomos’ philosophy—remove friction, accelerate decision-making, and build growth through strong human connection. When teams are aligned and trusted, strategy moves faster, execution improves, and growth becomes sustainable.
We’ve been impressed with átomos, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
átomos is a strategic marketing consultancy for CPG and Food & Beverage brands, built on a fractional CMO model. We provide fractional CMO services to CPG and Food & Beverage companies that need senior, embedded marketing leadership without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.
A fractional CMO isn’t a consultant who diagnoses a problem and steps away. The role operates more like an architect. Before anything is built, an architect understands the purpose, the people, and the constraints—then designs the structure that allows everything else to work. In the same way, a fractional CMO embeds directly within a company, representing the business from the inside, leading teams when needed, and staying accountable from strategy through execution—particularly during periods of growth slowdown, repositioning, or organizational change.
That architectural step is critical. Without it, execution—no matter how strong—can miss the mark. The fractional model gives brands executive-level marketing leadership without the overhead of a full-time hire, while enabling deeper partnership, clearer decision-making, and more sustainable growth.
When I founded átomos, my goal was to give ambitious brands access to the same caliber of marketing leadership, insight, and playbooks typically reserved for multi-billion-dollar companies. Today, átomos is a team of five senior marketing professionals with expertise spanning brand strategy, consumer insights, design and packaging, innovation and data analytics, retail and shopper marketing, and performance marketing.
Just as important as what we do is how we do it. I’m driven by empathy and curiosity—especially across cultures—and I believe the strongest strategies come from genuinely putting yourself in the consumer’s shoes. The fractional model allows us to be present, invested, and deeply connected to the human side of growth, not just the numbers.
What sets us apart
What truly sets átomos apart is experience—real, hands-on experience. Every fractional CMO at átomos comes from a big CPG background, with 20+ years of leadership inside complex organizations. We’ve led marketing from inside complex CPG environments—launching brands, managing large portfolios, navigating portfolio complexity, and owning decisions across brand strategy, innovation, and go-to-market execution.
That perspective matters. It means we don’t just talk about what could work—we know what does work and what it actually takes to drive growth in this industry. Our clients aren’t getting theory or junior talent. They’re getting seasoned operators who can step in with clarity, confidence, and momentum from day one.
That philosophy shows up clearly in our client work.
What I’m most proud of
I truly love the people and brands we get to work with. One of the projects I’m most proud of—and one I mentioned earlier—is Chifles, Miami-based and America’s #1 plantain chip brand.
What made that work especially meaningful wasn’t just restoring growth. It was restoring trust.
Chifles had redesigned its packaging to appeal to a broader audience, but in the process unintentionally walked away from some of the visual equities their most loyal consumers depended on. Recognition slipped, sales declined, and momentum stalled. For a brand that’s long been a fixture in Miami households, that loss of familiarity mattered.
Through átomos, we brought big-CPG rigor—eye-tracking, consumer validation, and shelf analytics—but paired it with the speed, empathy, and respect a local icon deserves. The result was an evolved design that honored Chifles’ heritage while improving shopability, recovering purchase intent, and helping shoppers decide faster at shelf.
I’m proud of this work because it reinforces a core belief of mine: great branding isn’t about reinvention for its own sake. It’s about understanding who already loves you—and building forward without leaving them behind. Loyal customers aren’t a constraint on growth; they’re the foundation of it. When you design with them in mind, you earn the right to grow beyond them.
What I want readers to know
átomos exists to help brands move forward with confidence—especially when growth has slowed, clarity is missing, or teams need experienced leadership without adding permanent overhead. We work with companies at moments of transition, bringing structure, alignment, and executive-level marketing leadership without slowing teams down.
We are senior CPG leaders who plug in quickly, act decisively, and bring structure without bureaucracy. More than our services, it’s our philosophy that defines us. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all playbooks or surface-level fixes. Growth happens when people are aligned, trusted, and connected. We help brands understand what already makes them strong, build on that foundation, and create real momentum—strategically, culturally, and commercially.
And we’re local. If you’re thinking about growth, come by and say hello. We host entrepreneur happy hours and would love to have you.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
átomos provides fractional CMO services and senior, embedded marketing leadership to CPG and Food & Beverage brands—including private equity–backed companies—navigating growth and change.
Collaboration at átomos starts with conversation. We work with founders, executives, and leadership teams who are looking for clarity, momentum, and experienced marketing leadership during key moments of growth or change. That collaboration can take many forms—embedding through fractional CMO support, partnering on brand, portfolio, or growth initiatives, or serving as a strategic thought partner during periods of transition.
Support also shows up through community. We believe in sharing insight, making thoughtful introductions, and contributing to the broader Food & Beverage and CPG ecosystems we’re all building together. While átomos partners with brands nationally, we bring this belief to life locally by hosting quarterly gatherings for Food & Beverage and CPG leaders, creating space for meaningful connection beyond the boardroom.
Ultimately, collaboration is how momentum begins. The strongest brands are built through alignment, trust, and human connection—and that’s how we choose to work.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies based on project scope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atomos.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomos.us/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardrodriguez/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atomosllc
Image Credits
Douglas Hungerford.
