ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), Alexandria, Va.
Tori Miller Liuwas promoted to vice president of technology and strategic initiatives, responsible for advancing the strategic plan and leading the association's technology strategy. Liu has been with GCCA since 2006, with experience in strategic planning, project management, IT, marketing, communications and publishing. She helped the organization grow through several key initiatives, including launching COLD FACTS magazine, redesigning the website, implementing a new database and improving the governance of volunteer committees.

USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), Stone Mountain, Ga.
Former University of Georgia (UGA) vet professor, Dr. Guillermo Zavala,joined as director of veterinary services.Zavala spent 11 years at UGA’s veterinary medicine unit before forming Avian Health International LLC in 2014.Zavala also worked for two years as a corporate veterinarian at CAM in Morelos, Mexico, prior to joining Salsbury Laboratories, where he was director of veterinary services for three years.

 

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Smithfield Foods, Inc., Smithfield, Va.
Chief executive officer C. Larry Pope will retire from the company, effective Dec. 31, following a 35-year career. Kenneth Sullivan, Smithfield's president and COO, will succeed Pope as chief executive officer upon his retirement. Sullivan was named president and COO earlier this year. He has held a number of positions within the organization, including serving as chief financial officer from 2013-2015, vice president of finance from 2010-2013 and chief accounting officer from 2007-2013. Prior to joining Smithfield in 2003, he spent 12 years at large public accounting and consulting firms serving a variety of clients in the manufacturing, technology and government contracting sectors.

SUPERVALU Inc., Minneapolis
Janel Haugarth, executive vice president and president, independent business and supply chain services, announced plans to retire Dec. 26. Haugarth has spent nearly 40 years with the company and served in a variety of leadership positions and roles of increasing responsibility, including having been an executive vice president since 2006. Under Haugarth’s leadership and direction, SUPERVALU consolidated and realigned its wholesale operations, introduced a National Sales Expo attracting more than 4,000 attendees, launched new professional services programs to support the expanding needs of independent retailers and led the procurement and growth of new business for the company’s independent business segment. Mike Stigers, current president of Cub Foods, will succeed Haugarth. Stigers has more than 40 years of experience in the grocery industry. He joined SUPERVALU in 2011, and was president of Shaw’s, one of SUPERVALU’s formerly-owned retail banners, and president of Northern Region, formerly one of the three sales regions within SUPERVALU’s independent business segment.

 

The Coastal Cos., Savage, Md.
Brian Sturgeon joined the board of directors, bringing more than 25 years of industry experience. He most recently served as president and CEO of FreshPoint, Inc., where he managed all aspects of the business, including strategy, sales, operations, finance and development for the 31 distribution companies in the United States and Canada.

Bob Evans Farms, Inc., New Albany, Ohio
Saed Mohseni was named president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Mohseni was most recently the chief executive officer of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc., and currently serves on the board of directors of Chuy’s Holding, Inc. Mohseni has more than 30 years of management experience in the restaurant industry. Prior to joining Bravo Brio, Mohseni was the chief executive officer and a director of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, Inc. Mohseni joined McCormick & Schmick’s in 1986 as a general manager, and was senior manager, vice president of operations-California and senior vice president of operations.

Brio Ice Cream, a product of Nutricopia, Inc., owned by aio Group, Hawaii
Paul Buckel joined as vice president of sales. Buckel was previously vice president of sales for Celtic Sea Salt.

Farmhouse Culture, Watsonville, Calif.
The refrigerated sauerkraut maker made some personnel changes as a result of moving operations from Santa Cruz, Calif., to Watsonville. Capp Culver joined in May as chief operating officer, responsible for leading the day-to-day operations and growth initiatives of the company. Prior to joining Farmhouse Culture, Culver spent 10 years with Taylor Farms, most recently as president of Taylor Farms Illinois, a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods. Heather Dean was appointed director of sales. Dean maintains more than 25 years in the natural and organic food industry with companies like Living Foods, The Real Food Co. and Whole Foods Market. She spent the past 15 years working in sales for Kettle Foods, Organic Valley & Numi Organic Tea. Lastly, Jason Prziborowski was appointed director of marketing, head of all marketing efforts. Previously, he spent more than four years with the H.J. Heinz Co.

AdvancePierre Foods, Cincinnati
Steve Booker was appointed president – retail, tasking with leading the company’s second largest business unit, which collaborates with club, mass merchandise and grocery chains to provide branded, private brand and licensed products. Booker started his career in homecare products with Procter & Gamble and The Clorox Co. before transitioning into the food industry. He spent the last 13 years at ConAgra Foods, most recently serving as the senior vice president of customer development, where he oversaw a 200-member team responsible for the development of customer-facing capabilities to drive growth across ConAgra Foods’ branded and private label businesses. Booker will play a significant role in growing AdvancePierre’s private label business, which currently accounts for more than a quarter of the retail portfolio.

Impossible Foods, Inc., Redwood City, Calif.
David Lee will become the company's new chief operating officer and chief financial officer, effective Dec. 14. Lee maintains 20 years of experience across retail and consumer industries. He most recently served as chief financial officer of Zynga, and senior vice president of enterprise finance for Best Buy, where he was responsible for leading the company's corporate strategy, financial planning and analysis and treasury teams. During his eight years at Del Monte, he held several leadership positions across finance and general management, including senior vice president of strategy, where he oversaw corporate affairs, mergers and acquisitions and corporate transformations.

SUPPLIERS:

Swisslog, Newport News, Va.
Senior design consultant Yvan Busom Sosa will lead the warehouse and distribution design practice in the company’s new Tlalnepantla, Mexico, office.

Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, Wis.
Juan Pablo del Valle Perochena was elected to serve as a director, effective immediately. Del Valle Perochena is chairman of Mexichem S.A.B. de C.V. He began his career as an industrial engineer and previously ran his family's company, Grupo Empresarial Kaluz, where he was responsible for real estate investments, operations and the chemical business.