Corporate Appointments at Fuchs
Kenneth R. Wuestenfeld has joined Fuchs North America as vice president of sales & business development. In this position, Wuestenfeld will expand and further develop the company's North American customer base, as well as identify new segment opportunities.
Wuestenfeld began his career in the food manufacturing industry in the early 1980s. Prior to joining Fuchs North America, he held several executive-level positions with ConAgra Foods -- first as general manager for the Lamb Weston subsidiary where he managed two plants and a sales/marketing organization. Subsequently, he led sales and marketing efforts for the Gilroy Foods & Flavors ingredient division of ConAgra.
Wuestenfeld has also held sales and managerial positions at Sara Lee Bakery, PepsiCo and Nestlé. He has a BS degree in Marketing Management from the University of Arizona and an MBA degree in Marketing & Business Management from DePaul University in Chicago.
Felix Venezuela has joined Fuchs North America as director of operations. In this position, Venezuela will focus on enhancing the company's production facilities to accommodate growth in existing product segments as well as expansion into new ones.
Venezuela has more than 25 years of experience in the food industry, working at Quaker Oats, Sara Lee and Massimo Zanetti Beverage. Prior to joining Fuchs North America, he was plant manager at Young Pecan/Hampton Farms in Las Cruces, N.M., where he is credited with maximizing productivity and optimizing overall plant efficiencies for this large pecan processing and packaging facility.
Venezuela began his career in Human Resources, for which he credits his ability to manage, motivate and empower employees to be productive and efficient in their work responsibilities. He is also bilingual (English and Spanish).
Fuchs North America also announces the appointment of Edward G. Harazak as senior food scientist. In this position, Harazak will be responsible for supporting Fuchs customers in developing seasoning blends for a variety of food segments.
Prior to joining Fuchs North America, Harazak was a senior research chef and food scientist at Adams FFI Marketing, where he co-developed the innovative “Culinary Tonight” line that provides gourmet seasoning kits to prepare entire meals including side dishes. Harazak also held a similar position at Milwaukee Seasonings (Unilever-Bestfoods), where he worked on developing seasonings, sauces, glazes and blends for leading foodservice chains such as KFC and McDonalds.
As a certified executive chef, Harazak has more than 25 years of experience as a research chef to the hotel and restaurant segments. He is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists and the American Culinary Federation, as well as a founding member and original board member of the Research Chefs Association. Harazak holds a BS degree in Organic Chemistry from Stanford University.
Commenting on the new corporate appointments, Dan Cooper, chief executive officer, stated, “We are delighted to welcome these gentlemen to our organization. Their backgrounds, skill sets and experience will make them highly effective in their roles. They join a strong, customer-focused team that's committed to providing consumer insights on taste trends, and to always deliver the right taste solution.”
From the December 26, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.
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