Food Industry Executive Appointments: Q1 2018
Food and beverage companies look to new leadership for future growth
Maintaining company health is arguably a responsibility that falls across an organization. Corporate leadership positions, however, specifically focus on charting a course toward future growth and success. Food and beverage companies of all sizes have made important additions to leadership and management in recent months. Below is a short list of notable executive appointments.
Hostess Brands, Inc. Names Andrew Callahan as President and CEO
Hostess Brands, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has named consumer packaged goods executive Andrew “Andy” Callahan as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 7, 2018. He will replace C. Dean Metropoulos, the Company’s Executive Chairman, who has been serving in the expanded role of interim President and Chief Executive Officer since March 31, 2018. Mr. Metropoulos will remain Executive Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. Today, Mr. Callahan was also appointed as a director on the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Callahan joins the Company with more than 23 years of executive leadership experience serving in key consumer packaged goods industry roles at Tyson Foods, Inc., The Hillshire Brands Company, Sara Lee Corporation and Kraft Foods, Inc.
Applegate Farms Appointments New President, Leadership Changes
Applegate®, a natural and organic meat brand, announced that John Ghingo will assume the position of president, and the company's Senior Director of Mission, Gina Asoudegan, will be elevated to vice president of mission and innovation strategy. Applegate Farms, LLC is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation.
Most recently Ghingo was the president of plant-based foods and beverages at The WhiteWave Company. Asoudegan has been with Applegate since 2006 and will report to Ghingo.
High Liner Foods Names New CEO
High Liner Foods Incorporated announced the appointment of Rod Hepponstall as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2018. Hepponstall will assume this position from Henry Demone, Chairman and CEO of High Liner Foods, who will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors of High Liner Foods. Hepponstall will also serve on the company's Board of Directors.
Hepponstall has 25 years of experience working in the food industry in the United States and Canada, in both retail and foodservice. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at several publicly traded food companies, including Lamb-Weston, Inc., ConAgra Foods, Inc. and Maple Leaf Foods. He most recently held the position of Senior Vice President, General Manager Retail & Foodservice Business Units at Lamb-Weston Inc.
Ocean Spray Cranberries Names Bobby J. Chacko President, CEO
Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. announced today that its board of directors has unanimously elected Bobby J. Chacko as president and chief executive officer. Chacko was named president and chief operating officer in January 2018. He joined Ocean Spray in 2017 as chief growth officer.
Prior to joining Ocean Spray, Chacko served as regional president of Mars Drinks where he had complete responsibility for the North American business. Before joining Mars Inc., Chacko had 20 years of diverse corporate leadership and entrepreneurship experiences, encompassing strategy, innovation, marketing, and commercialization with iconic brands in category leading companies like The Coca-Cola Company, AB Inbev, and GE Capital. Chacko brings in-market general management experiences and regional perspectives on developed and emerging markets across Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe.
Vic Smith, Kathryn Ault, Martin Guerena and Laura MacCleery Join Equitable Food Initiative Board
Equitable Food Initiative welcomes four new members to its multi-stakeholder board of directors. Victor Smith and Kathryn Ault join as grower representatives, Martin Guerena as a pest management expert and Laura MacCleery to represent consumer interests.
As president and CEO for JV Smith Companies, Vic Smith oversees a diverse group of operations with farming, cooling and distribution facilities in Arizona, Colorado and Mexico. "I am excited to join the EFI board and learn more about their efforts to help create a safe, equitable and sustainable work environment in our industry," Smith said. "I hope to contribute to this process since EFI's work directly aligns with the core values of JV Smith Companies."
Mars Appoints Vice President & General Counsel
Mars, Incorporated has appointed Stefanie Straub, current Vice President & General Counsel for Mars Wrigley Confectionery, to the role of Vice President & General Counsel for Mars, Incorporated. Straub will become a member of the Mars Leadership Team and will assume her new role on April 1.
Straub joined Wrigley in 2001 in Europe, where she served as an attorney supporting German speaking countries. A licensed attorney in both the United States and Germany, Straub has had many geographic responsibilities, including working across multiple markets in Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, and Asia Pacific.
Packline USA Names New CEO
Packline USA, a global manufacturer of linear and rotary filling and sealing packaging machines and a supplier of packaging for the food and beverage industries, has named Shay Zohar as president and chief executive officer. Zohar succeeds former President and CEO Amir Tamshe, who established the company in 2002. Tamshe now leads Packline’s global sales and product development efforts.
Zohar previously was chief operational officer for New York-based Barrie House Coffee & Tea, a leading technology-driven coffee roaster and packer. Zohar joined Barrie House in 2002 and helped to grow the 73-year-old company from a small family run roastery into the market leader of the single-serve coffee category.
Key Hires for High Road Ice Cream
High Road Ice Cream, coming off a year in which the company grew by 70%, announced the following new hires to support strong continued growth in 2018:
• Stephen Corradini, formerly Vice President of Whole Foods Market South Region, as Chief People & Strategy Officer.
• Arthur Reynolds, formerly Associate Coordinator of Grocery of Whole Foods Market, as Director of Sales & Category Management.
Arthur and Stephen served at Whole Foods for more than 30 years combined, playing critical roles in growing Whole Foods’ business in the southeast and national markets.
https://www.highroadcraft.com
ZoomEssence, Inc. Expands Culinary Innovation Team
Nestlé USA Names New Leadership
PLT Health Solutions Focuses on Growth Opportunities
Healthy Food Ingredients Grows Team
Kalsec Promotes Leadership Team
Traina Foods Appoints New Director of Industrial Ingredient Sales
Prinova Promotes Cyndie Lipka
Fuchs North America Adds to Management Team
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
