Pre® Brands, a leader in branded beef, announced that Kevin Ponticelli, former chief operating officer and president of Mizkan American Inc., has joined as chief executive officer. He brings more than 30 years of diverse consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience across sales, marketing, and strategy.
"Pre aligns perfectly with consumer trends, tastes terrific and is winning in the market," states Ponticelli. "Everyone in our organization is committed to scaling the business successfully as we expand nationwide and continue to build the Pre brand."
Most recently, Ponticelli was the chief operating officer and president of Mizkan American Inc., an operating subsidiary of Japan-based Mizkan Group, a leader in condiments and sauce distribution across the United States and Canada. Prior, Ponticelli was the group vice president and president of Kraft for their North American Cheese and Dairy Sector.
"Kevin's appointment is timely and we're very excited to have such high-level talent coming on board to lead the team through the next phase of expansion," said Pre board member Jeff Klunzinger. "We welcome his tremendous experience in consumer-packaged businesses, specifically in marketing, sales and general management and we're confident that he will take Pre to the next level of growth."
Ponticelli succeeds Lenny Lebovich, the company's founder and original CEO. "Lenny's vision for this company was instrumental to Pre's success to date and his experience was invaluable at such a pivotal time," said Klunzinger.