[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3pnda2tyljdwi":3,"$f1fn4bvlmx2a6v":232,"page-template:\u002Farticles\u002Ffernando-merce-melissa-doug:{}":253},{"content":4,"navigationFallbacksEnabled":35,"previewEnvironmentEnabled":35},{"siteKey":5,"siteName":6,"tagline":7,"seo":8,"errorPage":21,"siteModals":36,"customSettings":37,"globals":42},"darden-report","Darden Report","News and knowledge from the UVA Darden School of Business.",{"title":9,"description":10,"image":11},"Darden Report - The Latest News and Ideas from UVA Darden School of Business","The Darden Report offers the latest news, research, and stories about the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.",{"src":12,"alt":13,"aspectRatio":14,"width":15,"height":16,"bynderDat":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002F189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a\u002FGoodwin-Grounds-autumn","goodwin grounds","6048 \u002F 4024",6048,4024,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":19,"name":20},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu","189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a","Goodwin-Grounds-autumn",{"statusLabel":22,"title":23,"summaryBeforeHomeLink":24,"homeLinkLabel":25,"homeHref":26,"summaryAfterHomeLink":27,"searchEnabled":28,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"seo":31},"Error 404","Wa-who?","We cannot locate a page at this address. Try searching using the input below or starting from the ","homepage","\u002F",".",true,"Search Darden Report","Search...",{"title":32,"description":33,"robots":34},"Page Not Found",null,{"noindex":28,"nofollow":35},false,[],{"algoliaEngagement":38},{"activeSeconds":39,"scrollRatio":40,"idleSeconds":41,"mediaPercent":39},20,0.5,60,{"masthead":43,"menuOverlay":59,"footer":191},{"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"topicsLabel":44,"subscribeLabel":45,"menuLabel":46,"searchLabel":47,"topics":48},"Trending","Subscribe","Open menu","Open search",[49,51,53,55,57],{"label":50,"href":26},"Tariffs Q&A",{"label":52,"href":26},"AI Datacenters",{"label":54,"href":26},"Productivity Boom",{"label":56,"href":26},"CES 2026",{"label":58,"href":26},"Colorado Water Rights",{"overlayLabel":60,"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"quickLinks":61,"topicsLabel":62,"topics":63,"browseLabel":121,"browseLinks":122,"connectLabel":154,"connectLinks":155,"registerLabel":172,"registerCta":173,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"searchSubmitLabel":189,"closeLabel":190},"Site menu",[],"Topics",[64,71,77,83,89,95,102,109,115],{"id":65,"label":66,"href":67,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":68,"imageSrc":69,"imageAlt":70},"2PGBfQ54OTbNUe92lTxC30","Artificial Intelligence","\u002Ftopics\u002Fartificial-intelligence","Research and expert perspective on intelligent systems, automation, and the changing economics of decision-making. Darden faculty explore how organizations can evaluate emerging tools, govern responsible adoption, and use AI to improve judgment, productivity, customer value, and competitive advantage without losing sight of people and institutional trust.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Feadee323-faa1-436f-979b-40761fb64624\u002FAI-Primary-Topic-Vertical","Surreal AI-Generated Cosmic Landscape – Generative AI, Art and Human Creativity",{"id":72,"label":73,"href":74,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":75,"imageSrc":76,"imageAlt":73},"7hvQgsg6I0A9QRkXKcNJrN","Data & Analytics","\u002Ftopics\u002Fdata-analytics","Data & Analysis examines how leaders turn information into sharper questions, stronger evidence, and better decisions. Darden insights cover analytics, experimentation, forecasting, risk, and interpretation, helping organizations separate signal from noise and translate complex findings into practical choices across strategy, operations, markets, and society.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fbbea14b9-cfe3-415b-bcab-f97f753f6c54\u002FData-Analytics-Primary-Topic",{"id":78,"label":79,"href":80,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":81,"imageSrc":82,"imageAlt":79},"7hztN5kb1RdsP9iGiC05dV","Entrepreneurship","\u002Ftopics\u002Fentrepreneurship","Economic and social advancement require leaders who embrace an entrepreneurial outlook and a commitment to innovation. Darden thought leadership emphasizes that an entrepreneurial mindset is about more than starting a new business venture; it encompasses the opportunity-seizing and action-oriented behavior essential for sustained growth in organizations of all sizes.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fa8e8e5fe-f1d5-478b-8877-31b8b0c43f0c\u002FThe-Importance-of-Courage",{"id":84,"label":85,"href":86,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":87,"imageSrc":88,"imageAlt":85},"2dPcCN1FQ26ZIFcvdIsh4","Global Economies & Markets","\u002Ftopics\u002Fglobal-economies-markets","Faculty insight on trade, markets, policy, global business, and economic change. This topic connects macroeconomic forces with organizational decisions, examining how leaders navigate uncertainty, regulation, capital flows, geopolitical shifts, and cross-border opportunity while building resilient institutions in markets that are increasingly interdependent.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fd6db5e0d-c0fe-4e51-8f38-5e995d232d04\u002FA-Quick-Queue-or-a-Long-One-Waiting-in-Line-Around-the-World",{"id":90,"label":91,"href":92,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":93,"imageSrc":94,"imageAlt":91},"7mgp2vBjTofDsgB34ap4nb","Ethics & Society","\u002Ftopics\u002Fbusiness-ethics-society","The multidisciplinary study of Business, Ethics & Society focuses on sustaining, growing and sharing value, not just for businesses and their shareholders, but for stakeholders and the societies in which they operate. This vein of study encompasses ethical decision-making, examination of how business can and does impact society, implications for policy, principles of moral and institutional leadership, and the tenets of stakeholder theory.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F326ec289-e377-49ca-81ff-8a78a16d7e6d\u002FEthics-and-Society-Primary-Topic",{"id":96,"label":97,"href":98,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":99,"imageSrc":100,"imageAlt":101},"18nXfYyrV3JAT3y57GWhcK","Leadership & Management","\u002Ftopics\u002Fleadership-management","Practical research for leading teams, organizations, culture, and change. Darden thought leadership explores how managers build trust, make difficult decisions, communicate purpose, develop talent, and guide people through uncertainty while sustaining performance and strengthening the human systems that make organizations work.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F6557a226-8bac-44d0-83c1-0efdfe88b396\u002F11-Key-Characteristics-of-a-Global-Business-Leader","various colors of blocks stand in an equality and inclusive space, in the style of precisionism influence, silhouette figures, superimposed text, nul group, disfigured forms, miniature illumination, consumer culture critique --ar 128:85 --stylize 50 --v 6 Job ID: 2731b55d-e2b8-4468-81be-bb16e507686f",{"id":103,"label":104,"href":105,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":106,"imageSrc":107,"imageAlt":108},"5JMdm6cuNXm8p9L15kOLSX","Marketing & Sales","\u002Ftopics\u002Fmarketing-sales","Ideas for understanding customers, building markets, and communicating value. This topic examines consumer behavior, brand strategy, sales effectiveness, pricing, segmentation, and digital channels, helping leaders connect insight to action and create relationships that support growth across changing audiences and competitive environments.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F146f2b70-b04a-4495-853d-c5b78196f276\u002FMarketing-Primary-Topic","Marketing Primary Topic",{"id":110,"label":111,"href":112,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":113,"imageSrc":114,"imageAlt":111},"siVfdjcE5Xfd4pbT1jeWD","Operations & Technology","\u002Ftopics\u002Foperations-technology","Research on systems, digital operations, supply chains, and technology-enabled performance. Darden faculty examine how organizations design processes, manage complexity, improve reliability, and use new tools to create efficient, adaptable operations that support strategy, customer experience, and long-term organizational resilience.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff36239ad-c7bf-46fe-93b2-e6df18cb2fef\u002FOperations-Technology-Primary-Topic",{"id":116,"label":117,"href":118,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":119,"imageSrc":120,"imageAlt":117},"4NDEiXoxAt8TlDGLBWYCqu","Strategy","\u002Ftopics\u002Fstrategy","Frameworks and evidence for competition, growth, transformation, and long-term enterprise decisions. Strategy insights from Darden help leaders assess where to play, how to win, when to change course, and how to allocate resources in ways that create durable advantage amid uncertainty.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff8c81a7f-2b2c-4d37-964e-84382b3b1ef5\u002FBeyond-Strategy-3-Lessons-and-4-Ingredients-of-Execution","Browse",[123,127,131,135,139,143,146,150],{"id":124,"label":125,"href":126,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"49UXns6sWSYS1QfelJsnUS","Articles","\u002Farticles",{"id":128,"label":129,"href":130,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"5h02IsSCwqwqdvAeEfC2uq","Podcasts","\u002Fpodcasts",{"id":132,"label":133,"href":134,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3i2eJKSFhZolFdIe3c6t5V","Videos","\u002Fvideos",{"id":136,"label":137,"href":138,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"7x4aolsVH0DQFMby9iunAJ","Media Features","\u002Fmedia-features",{"id":140,"label":141,"href":142,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3rM0mhH3WJY4ThjFiyfnoV","Experts","\u002Fexpert\u002Fdirectory",{"id":144,"label":45,"href":145,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1pq8d8gTugtnM0goPxBXVR","#subscribe",{"id":147,"label":148,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2G9kuRukBaUj9ddCJur1rC","Give","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.givecampus.com\u002Fcampaigns\u002F20048\u002Fdonations\u002Fnew",{"id":151,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1ql3y6NAQuUglXnn3dKJPy","About","\u002Fabout","Connect with Darden",[156,160,164,168],{"id":157,"label":158,"href":159,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2EPrW3IELdCZUN4AdZc5aU","Facebook","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FDardenMBA",{"id":161,"label":162,"href":163,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"382CfbeZQiqklJrRmCGew4","Instagram","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fdardenmba\u002F",{"id":165,"label":166,"href":167,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5IPd9qziZHiSSLmZ9ypypW","LinkedIn","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fedu\u002Fschool?id=19605",{"id":169,"label":170,"href":171,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5DpGLgbQS541wvmzk7yAn4","YouTube","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fuser\u002FDardenMBA","Featured Event",{"id":174,"previewOnly":35,"href":175,"external":28,"accessibleLabel":176,"openInNewWindow":28,"image":177,"date":186,"startDateTime":187,"endDateTime":188,"title":179},"3sGe8qongAY1Kc95z4h0Oh","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fexecutive-education\u002Fstrategic-data-analytics-for-competitive-advantage","Test",{"src":178,"alt":179,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":182},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fc9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7\u002FDriving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","AI-Powered Data Analytics","1 \u002F 1",700,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":183,"name":184,"preset":185},"c9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7","Driving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","square-medium","Nov 10-13","2026-11-10","2026-11-13","Submit search","Close menu",{"homeHref":26,"links":192,"subscribeHeading":227,"subscribeLabel":45,"imageSrc":228,"imageAlt":229,"institutionalLabel":230,"copyright":231},[193,197,201,204,207,211,214,217,219,223],{"id":194,"label":195,"href":196,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6GCwvduoNlDEeO6nq1laFq","For The Media","\u002Ffor-the-media",{"id":198,"label":199,"href":200,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2lqtlsCRCghroHk8jgcCi0","Publications","https:\u002F\u002Fstore.darden.virginia.edu\u002F",{"id":202,"label":203,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4rcubVXgLnQBYxJ833G7DO","Press Releases",{"id":205,"label":206,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6ColvvcR2M2zggiQQ0l965","In the Media",{"id":208,"label":209,"href":210,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"61sOurYMjR8U4mU5omcUjP","Apply to Darden","https:\u002F\u002Fapply.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fapply\u002F",{"id":212,"label":213,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"563xnF7I5F2UYWYwJc5eXE","Support Darden",{"id":215,"label":216,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"2BySyFumqkDGPDVmTtMYai","Contact Us",{"id":218,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4QSVOSvmRnltRwfr5rLoSS",{"id":220,"label":221,"href":222,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"75C0Q1ojWWmESgYLsm9bQk","Privacy Policy","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fprivacy-policy-copyright",{"id":224,"label":225,"href":226,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"35rcom3AAkYzApoNSavl1g","Search Darden","\u002Fsearch","Get Darden news, research, and thought leadership in your inbox.","\u002Fimages\u002Fdarden-report-footer.png","Autumn foliage over a brick courtyard at the UVA Darden School of Business.","UVA Darden School of Business","Copyright ©2026 The Rector and Visitors Of The University Of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.",{"enabled":28,"complete":28,"capacity":233,"label":44,"stale":35,"items":234},4,[235,241,245,249],{"contentId":236,"contentType":237,"label":238,"href":239,"source":240},"3cfnF0kekl1bxtXRgMRn1F","article","Inside the Thinking Behind…","\u002Farticles\u002Finside-the-thinking-behind-uva-dardens-new-student-housing","algolia",{"contentId":242,"contentType":237,"label":243,"href":244,"source":240},"61xGycZknWivEK2Vffla2V","How AI Is Transforming…","\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-ai-is-transforming-healthcare",{"contentId":246,"contentType":237,"label":247,"href":248,"source":240},"2GBmzAadCKzwTWJggqmArB","Christopher Fuller Named CMCO","\u002Farticles\u002Fchristopher-fuller-named-chief-marketing-and-communications-officer-at-uva-darden",{"contentId":250,"contentType":237,"label":251,"href":252,"source":240},"23Pz69HrBYAP3sxJeeaNpU","Hiba Anwar’s Fellowship","\u002Farticles\u002Fhiba-anwar-freeland-franklin-fellowship",{"path":254,"template":255,"content":256,"context":403},"\u002Farticles\u002Ffernando-merce-melissa-doug","articlePage",{"id":257,"title":258,"slug":259,"path":254,"modifiedAt":260,"summary":261,"publishedDate":266,"topics":269,"authors":272,"insightsFrom":273,"topper":274,"bodyBlocks":283,"outro":358,"seo":395},"legacy-article-5418","Work at Play: UVA Darden Grad Takes Helm as CEO of Leading Toymaker","fernando-merce-melissa-doug","2026-09-24T22:04:06.504Z",{"plainText":262,"inlines":263},"Fernando Mercé (MBA ‘98) left a successful tenure as a senior executive with one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies to become CEO of Melissa & Doug.",[264],{"type":265,"value":262},"text",{"display":267,"dateTime":268},"22 July 2020","2020-07-22T18:29:41.000Z",[270],{"id":271,"label":97,"href":98},"leadership-management",[],[],{"id":275,"variant":276,"title":258,"subheadline":33,"topic":277,"image":278},"legacy-article-5418-topper","small",{"id":271,"label":97,"href":98},{"src":279,"alt":280,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":281},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F1d4128a7-45c7-41cc-ab37-a644ffa13e85\u002F5418-jpg","5418-jpg",{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":282,"name":280,"preset":185},"1d4128a7-45c7-41cc-ab37-a644ffa13e85",[284],{"id":285,"contentType":286,"region":287,"render":288},"legacy-article-5418-body-0","richText","body",{"component":289,"props":290},"RichTextBlock",{"content":291},{"blocks":292},[293,304,316,323,328,346],{"type":294,"content":295},"paragraph",[296,301],{"type":297,"value":298,"href":299,"external":28,"marks":300},"link","University of Virginia Darden School of Business","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002F",[],{"type":265,"value":302,"marks":303}," alumnus Fernando Mercé (MBA ‘98) left a successful tenure as a senior executive with one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies in February 2020 to become CEO of a firm with a more niche group of consumers: Melissa & Doug LLC, a Connecticut-based toy manufacturer owned by private equity firm AEA Investors.",[],{"type":294,"content":305},[306,309,313],{"type":265,"value":307,"marks":308},"Mercé, who left his previous post as the CEO of Nestlé Waters North America, discussed his new role with Melissa & Doug in a ",[],{"type":297,"value":310,"href":311,"external":28,"marks":312},"new profile","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Falumni\u002Ffeatured\u002Fspotlight\u002Ffernando-merce",[],{"type":265,"value":314,"marks":315}," on the Alumni Spotlight section of Darden’s website.",[],{"type":317,"paragraphs":318},"blockquote",[319],[320],{"type":265,"value":321,"marks":322},"“It’s a purpose-driven company, and AEA believes in that mission,” he said. “I always get to know the investors or leadership behind a company when I’m looking at a new opportunity. When the people you’re working with demonstrate a passion for doing what’s right for humanity, then business discussions won’t be about whether or not to do those things, but rather how we’re going to do them.”",[],{"type":294,"content":324},[325],{"type":265,"value":326,"marks":327},"He also talked about his accomplishments leading Nestlé Waters North America to reduce its environmental footprint.",[],{"type":317,"paragraphs":329},[330,334,338,342],[331],{"type":265,"value":332,"marks":333},"While bottled water isn’t generally an industry associated with environmental stewardship, Mercé used his broad-based educational background to steer Nestlé Waters North America toward a more sustainable path.",[],[335],{"type":265,"value":336,"marks":337},"An industrial engineer by training, Mercé’s team was able to look at and help reimagine every step of the lifecycle of a plastic bottle. “For every bottle we sold, we aspired to collect and process another bottle,” he said. “You need a functioning circular economy to get that done. You need to support collection, recycling and buyers of recycled plastic.”",[],[339],{"type":265,"value":340,"marks":341},"The company became a leader in the design and implementation of fully recyclable bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastic (rPET), he said, using plastic, labels and glue that could be thrown into the existing recycling processes without contaminating the end product.",[],[343],{"type":265,"value":344,"marks":345},"“By the time I left, we were aggressively moving to record levels of rPET in all of our bottles,” he said.",[],{"type":294,"content":347},[348,352,355],{"type":265,"value":349,"marks":350},"Read the ",[351],"italic",{"type":297,"value":353,"href":311,"external":28,"marks":354},"full profile",[351],{"type":265,"value":356,"marks":357}," on Darden’s Alumni Spotlight.",[351],{"tags":359,"pressContact":364,"bios":394},{"topics":360,"storyType":362},[361],{"id":271,"label":97,"href":98},{"label":363,"href":126},"Article",{"id":365,"heading":366,"body":367,"image":377,"action":385,"contactLabel":387,"contactId":388,"contactName":389,"contactTitle":390,"contactEmail":391},"1JXqEbL3azVV5umnM8ChNj","About UVA Darden School of Business",{"blocks":368},[369,373],{"type":294,"content":370},[371],{"type":265,"value":372},"The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences.",{"type":294,"content":374},[375],{"type":265,"value":376},"Darden's graduate degree programs and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact.",{"src":378,"alt":379,"aspectRatio":380,"width":381,"height":382,"bynderDat":383},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fc88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22\u002FDarden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","Darden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","8354 \u002F 5569",8354,5569,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":384,"name":379},"c88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22",{"label":386,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"Learn More","Press Contact","2KGmVfjHQigGuWjTI4aCKw","Lauren Foster","Senor Director of Communications",{"label":392,"href":393},"fosterl@darden.virginia.edu","mailto:fosterl@darden.virginia.edu",[],{"title":258,"description":262,"image":396},{"src":397,"alt":280,"aspectRatio":398,"width":399,"height":400,"bynderDat":401},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fwidescreen-large\u002F1d4128a7-45c7-41cc-ab37-a644ffa13e85\u002F5418-jpg?io=transform%3Afill%2Cwidth%3A1200%2Cheight%3A630&quality=75","1200 \u002F 630",1200,630,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":282,"name":280,"preset":402},"widescreen-large",{"canonicalPath":254,"identity":404},{"id":257,"contentType":237,"title":258,"path":254,"publishedAt":268,"modifiedAt":260,"topics":405,"authors":407,"eligibility":408},[406],{"id":271,"label":97},[],{"searchEngines":28,"followLinks":28,"internalSearch":28}]