- John J. Anton Jr.
- Vice President and General Manager, Ace Business Unit / The Valspar Corporation
Joining The Valspar Corporation in 2010, John Anton is responsible for strategic planning, marketing communications, new product development, and delivery of financial commitments for all brands within the Valspar portfolio.
Prior to Valspar, Mr. Anton spent eight years at Mars Petcare, a division of Mars, Inc., in a variety of marketing roles of increasing responsibility. While at Mars, he led the development of the “Pedigree Adoption Drive,” an integrated cause-marketing campaign that helped raise awareness of the plight of homeless dogs. Under his guidance the campaign won numerous industry awards, including two Gold Effies and a top 10 Super Bowl ad ranking in 2009.
Before Mars, Mr. Anton spent three years at Swander Pace & Company, a boutique strategy consulting firm focused on the food and beverage industries. As a consultant, he led a number of projects, including merger and acquisition work, competitive assessments, and strategic growth initiatives. Mr. Anton began his career at Nabisco, where he spent four years in a variety of sales roles of increasing responsibility.
Mr. Anton holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and obtained his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.