Fernando Machado

Operating Partner, Garnett Station Partners

Fernando Machado is a visionary global marketer with a passion for cultivating brands and driving business growth. He thoroughly believes that creativity can be a source of competitive advantage. Over the years, he has garnered a distinguished reputation for himself and the brands he’s helmed, focusing on understanding consumers to create distinct propositions, innovation, design, and strategic marketing approaches.

Fernando currently serves as an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners (GSP), as the dean of the Brand Marketer Academy at Cannes Lions and as a board member of Braze. GSP is a private equity group with around $3 bn in investment on brands in the fast-food, pet care, and service industries. As the dean of the Brand Marketer Academy, Fernando is responsible for defining the agenda for the content of the program of one of the most important activities during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Fernando also works as a consultant/ advisor to different brands.Before taking his current roles, Fernando spent two years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Activision Blizzard. He spearheaded marketing initiatives for iconic titles in the gaming industry, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush, among others.

Prior to his tenure at Activision, Fernando dedicated 7 years to Restaurant Brands International, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing brands such as Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. His efforts focused on infusing purpose, sustainability, improved product quality, modernized design, and championing tech, digital, and brand development across the organization.

Fernando’s expertise is rooted in his distinguished 18-year tenure at Unilever. His journey began as an intern, and he climbed the ranks across diverse product categories and brands. Notably, he led groundbreaking initiatives, includingDove’s revolutionary ‘Real Beauty Sketches’.