Esther Gamble

Esther Gamble is Senior Director of R&D Ecosystem & Discovery at Mars Snacking, where she leads innovation strategy and discovery across some of the world’s most iconic brands. She focuses on identifying emerging consumer needs, shaping new growth spaces, and translating early ideas into scalable innovation.

Over her career, Esther has built and led high-performing, cross-functional teams, launched products across multiple markets, and developed long-term innovation platforms from concept through to commercial reality. Her experience spans science, consumer insight, strategy, prototyping, and scaling innovation within complex global organizations.

She is particularly passionate about creating the conditions where bold ideas can move quickly, diverse perspectives can challenge conventional thinking, and teams can turn ambiguity into meaningful business growth. Originally from the UK and now based in Chicago, outside work Esther is mum to three sports-obsessed kids and can usually be found on the sidelines of a soccer field, cheer competition or flag football game.