Final answer:
Category managers oversee the management of entire product categories in decentralized systems, focusing on the strategic role of various brands to maximize profits and market share.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a decentralized system, individuals who oversee the management of an entire product category, with a focus on the strategic role of the various brands to build profits and market share, are known as category managers.
This role involves working with a diverse set of brands within a category to ensure that each contributes positively to the overall strategy, coordinating with various departments such as marketing, sales, and product development to achieve business objectives.
Category managers are critical to the architecture of marketing and business strategies as they help in harnessing the collective strength of multiple brands to reinforce market positioning, cross-promotional opportunities, and effective management of resources.
Therefore, the correct answar is A. category managers.