Madison-based grocery tech startup
Fetch Rewards has tapped Facebook exec
David Sommer to power growth initiatives as the company's first chief customer officer.
In his newly created role, Sommer will lead efforts to scale revenue and develop products aimed at accelerating Fetch's growth in new target markets and with existing brand partners like PepsiCo, Unilever, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, Albertsons Companies. He will also build out the company's global marketing solutions team.
Sommer previously served as head of industry, consumer packaged goods, retail partnerships and shopper marketing at Facebook (now Meta). During his 11 years with the social media giant, Sommer forged partnerships with and developed marketing strategies for major CPG, retail and restaurant brands. Prior to joining Facebook, Sommer served as CEO and president of Retail Media Link, which he founded in 2005.
"Fetch Rewards represents the future of digital marketing and is poised to become the global leader for rewards across all categories," Sommer said in a news release Wednesday. "I've spent decades partnering with marketers and CEOs to drive their business outcomes and it quickly became clear to me that Fetch has built a product that addresses their collective needs better than any other company, one that finally builds personalized marketing at scale."
Founded in 2013 by chief executive officer Wes Schroll, Fetch Rewards operates a consumer-loyalty and retail-rewards mobile app, which allows users to scan any paper or electronic receipt in exchange for points that can be redeemed for free rewards, such as digital gift cards for retailers and restaurants, donations to charity and sweepstake entries.
 Since launching in 2017, the app has been downloaded more than 30 million times and has 13 million active users.
Sommer joins Fetch almost a year after the startup
earned "unicorn" status by clearing the $1 billion valuation threshold. Recently, the company surpassed $100 billion in actionable gross merchandise value, making it equivalent to the nation's seventh-largest retailer, according to the release.
"As the digital landscape continues to evolve, brands are losing signal from the traditional advertising platforms that they've relied on for years," Schroll said. "Fetch offers a solution and gives brands a competitive advantage, and David's expertise will help our brand partners lean into the value of Fetch's customer intelligence."
Also this week, Fetch announced plans to open a new office facility and customer-support hub in Birmingham, Alabama. The company will invest $1 million in the project, which is expected to be complete this spring. It will create 200 new full-time jobs in the area, according to a news release.
