-By Eric Newman, Brandweek

NEW YORK Del Monte Foods has appointed William Pearce to the newly created position of svp and CMO.

Pearce previously served as CMO at Taco Bell, where he worked on a series of new products and menus. Pearce comes in at a time when Del Monte is centralizing marketing operations at its San Francisco headquarters, which includes the integration of pet and consumer marketing teams.

In his new role, Pearce will oversee all marketing operations, with a focus on pet and consumer marketing campaigns, as well as package design and promotions.

"We've created the position of [CMO] to further elevate our focus on marketing strategy, innovation, and execution across our portfolio," Rick Wolford, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "This centralized organizational structure located in San Francisco will continue to build on our marketing success, enhancing marketing's role in lead our future strategy."

Wolford also noted that the company "looks forward to leveraging [Pearce's] proven track record of attracting top talent."

The company did not reveal whether or not it was looking to boost its marketing spend in 2008 and beyond. In 2007, Del Monte spent $20 million on advertising, excluding online, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.