ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
National Fisheries Institute (NFI), Washington, D.C.
The NFI’s Crab Council hired Abdul Ghofar as its crab sustainability envoy, playing a critical role in tracking and enacting fishery improvement project benchmarks within the sponsored fisheries of Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Ghofar has worked in Indonesian fisheries for over 30 years, and has advised, taught and published on all aspects of the blue swimming crab supply chain.
PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
J&J Family of Farms, Loxahatchee, Fla.
Bob Ziel was named new director of food safety and social responsibility. Ziel brings more than 30 years of food safety experience, and maintains multiple certifications such as HAACP and Six Sigma Green Belt. He was most recently director of food safety for McEntire Produce, and has held key food safety roles with McEntire Produce, The Kraft Heinz Co. and ConAgra Foods, among others. He’s also held roles with the Produce Marketing Association, the United Fresh Technical Council and Center for Produce Safety.
Grupo LALA, Mexico
Alberto Arellano Garcia was named chief financial officer. He maintains more than 20 years' experience in consumer goods companies, working in different countries such as, Russia, Belgium, France, Venezuela and the United States. He previously was chief financial officer of Microsoft Corp. Mexico. His professional expertise includes SAP implementation projects, acquisition and integration of new businesses, strategic planning and competitive intelligence, among others.
Chobani, LLC, Norwich, N.Y.
Leland Maschmeyer was appointed to the newly created position of chief creative officer, effective Aug. 1, responsible for guiding brand strategy, product strategy, packaging, innovation pipeline, online channels, advertising, cafes, shopper marketing and total customer experience. He brings more than 20 years of experience in brand building and design. He has been serving as chief creative officer of COLLINS since 2007.
Kangaroo Brands, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.
Salem Kashou was named president, succeeding former president and co-owner John Kashou, who retired in 2015. Beginning his career with Kangaroo in 1999, Salem worked across all departments of the organization, most recently in operations. He previously was chief operations officer, where he oversaw the doubling of staff and expansion of production capacity.
All Fresh GPS, Comstock Park, Mich.
Nick Mascari joined as vice president of sales. Previously, Mascari was assistant director of sales, new business development for Indianapolis Fruit Co., Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Ark.
Tim Madigan was selected to fill the newly-created role of vice president, e-commerce, responsible for leading the development and execution of the company’s strategy and the direct relationships with all pure-play, online retailers. Madigan began his career at Procter & Gamble in 1997 as a sales account manager, where he gained valuable experience in roles of escalating responsibility, such as key customer account management, including Walmart and Sam’s Club, headquarters market strategy and planning, brand management and e-commerce. In 2009, he established the P&G e-commerce relationship with Walmart. Madigan joined SC Johnson & Son in May 2014 as director, e-commerce, North America, and a year later, expanded responsibility as the director, global e-commerce, where he was responsible for developing e-commerce strategies, capabilities and infrastructure across the entire portfolio.
Saputo Inc., Canada
The following nominees were elected as directors: Emanuele (Lino) Saputo, chairman of Saputo; Lino Saputo, Jr., president and CEO of Saputo; Henry Demone, chief executive officer of High Liner Foods; Anthony Fata, president of Sager Food Products Inc.; Annalisa King, corporate director, Best Buy Canada; Karen Kinsley, corporate director of MMeti; Tony Meti, president of G.D.N.P. Consulting Services, Inc.; Diane Nyisztor, senior vice president of corporate human resources at Cogeco Communications Inc.; Franziska Ruf, partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; and Annette Verschuren, chair and CEO of NRStor Inc.
TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Oak Brook, Ill.
Christopher Sliva was elected president, acquiring operating responsibility for both Bay Valley Foods and TreeHouse Private Brands. Sliva most recently served as executive vice president and COO of TreeHouse Foods and president of Bay Valley Foods. Sliva joined TreeHouse in July 2012 from Dean Foods, where he held various positions during his 6-year tenure, including chief commercial officer for the fresh dairy direct business, president and COO of the Morningstar subsidiary and chief customer officer for WhiteWave Foods. Prior to that, he held various sales and marketing positions with Eastman Kodak Co., Fort James Corp. and Procter & Gamble Distributing Co. Meanwhile, Dennis Riordan, executive vice president, CFO and interim president of private brands, will transition to a senior advisor role upon his intent to retire. Riordan has been with TreeHouse for over 10 years, having joined the company soon after its formation in 2005. During his tenure, Riordan has overseen the financial and infrastructure growth of the company through a series of 13 acquisitions, the most recent being the acquisition of the private brands business from ConAgra Foods.
Paul Piazza & Son, Inc., New Orleans
Domestic shrimp industry veteran John Appelbaum joined the sourcing and sales team, effective Aug. 1. His expertise entails sourcing and processing of Wild Caught domestic shrimp for foodservice and retail customers across the United States.
Sargento Foods, Inc., Plymouth, Wis.
Kevin Garcia was promoted to national customer business manager, responsible for managing sales, cultivating market and customer relationships and leading sales agency management for assigned customers and markets. Garcia has been the customer business manager for nearly two years. Greg Miller was promoted to director of sales for Walmart, focusing on delivering sales and growth margins, developing market and customer relationships, broker management and planning and coordinating and executing company sales strategies. He has been the Walmart business manager for the past five years. Dexter Russell was promoted to director of sales for Kroger, responsible for managing sales, developing market and customer relationships and leading broker management for assigned accounts. He has been Sargento’s team leader for Kroger for nearly four years. And, Josh Cox was promoted to category insights manager supporting the strategic channels team, tasked with improving customer planning, sales execution and financial results through ownership and development of reviews and presentations. He was previously a sales analyst for Walmart and club channels. Meanwhile, Jon Bastian was named national account sales manager, responsible for driving division execution, meeting sales objectives and ensuring profitability with key regions and top retailers within the national account business team. Previously, he worked was the director of sales, North/Central for Oasis Brands, where he was responsible for executing brand initiatives, achieving annual sales budgets, maintaining trade investment levels and aligning brokerage support. In addition to working with key customers, Bastian also has experience as an account executive and business development manager.
FOODSERVICE:
McDonald's Corp., Oak Brook, Ill.
Pete Bensen, current chief administrative officer, announced plans to retire, effective Sept. 2, after 20 years with the company.
SUPPLIERS:
Manhattan Associates, Inc., Atlanta
Dennis Story rejoined as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer, effective July 31.
Bunting Magnetics Co., Newton, Kan.
Andrew Blubaugh was appointed product manager over metal detection, responsible for managing the growth and profitability of the company’s line of metal detection products by supporting the company’s sales team, identifying new markets and customers, improving the product and enhancing the accompanying service and warranty programs. Blubaugh draws on nearly 10 years of experience in manufacturing in a variety of positions. Most recently, he was production manager in charge of sales and operations at Kincaid Equipment, where managed the operations and product development process while driving sales growth and customer development.
Eurofins Scientific, Des Moines, Iowa
Kally Probasco was named president, Eurofins microbiology laboratory (EML), responsible for providing dynamic new leadership to Eurofins' rapidly expanding national network of local food microbiology laboratories. Previously, Probasco oversaw all U.S. operational functions for the EML group involving installations of technical methodologies, strategic account negotiations, key talent acquisition, new lab constructions and other key initiatives. She was also instrumental in the achievement of aggressive growth objectives and quality standards for the division.
Allen Lund Co., La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.
Jim Scazzero was named manager of the Atlanta office. Scazzero has been with the company for 25 years, having been promoted to assistant manager in 2001 and again to manager in 2016.
Choptank Transport, Preston, Md.
Morgan Haller was named carrier development representative, tasked with cultivating solid relationships with carriers and independent owner-operators. Haller will also assist in the selection process for the company’s Top 100 carrier list, carriers of the quarter and the annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week event.
Ball Corp., Broomfield, Colo.
The board of directors elected Cynthia Niekamp, retired senior vice president from PPG Industries, Inc., and Daniel Heinrich, former executive vice president and chief financial officer from The Clorox Co., to serve as directors. Niekamp served at PPG Industries for seven years, most recently as senior vice president of automotive coatings. Prior to that, she served as president and general manager of TorqTransfer Systems at BorgWarner Inc.; senior vice president and CFO at MeadWestvaco Corp. (now WestRock Co.); and in various leadership roles at TRW, Inc. and General Motors Corp. Niekamp currently serves on the board of directors for Magna International Inc. Heinrich has worked at The Clorox Co. for 11 years, serving as executive vice president and CFO for nine years. Previous roles include senior vice president and treasurer at Transamerica Finance Corp.; senior vice president, treasurer and controller at Granite Management Co.; and senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller at First Nationwide Bank. Heinrich currently serves on the board of directors for ARAMARK and Edgewell Personal Care Co.
IN MEMORIUM: DOUG WOLF, NATIONAL PORK BOARD
Doug Wolf, a pork producer from Lancaster, Wis., and a pork industry leader for both the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa, and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Washington, D.C., passed away suddenly. Wolf was a partner in Wolf L&G Farms LLC, which he ran with his wife Kris and son Shannon and family. Wolf L&G Farms includes a commercial swine operation, a cow-calf herd and crop operation that produces corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
“Doug Wolf was a warm and genuine man who represented America’s pork producers with grace and tenacity all over the globe,” says Jan Archer, president of National Pork Board and a North Carolina-based pork producer. “He understood the implications of trade relationships and the important role it plays in keeping American farms alive. He took time away from his own farm and family to ensure that the rest of us could sell our products to the world. We all owe Doug a huge debt of gratitude and will miss him terribly.”
Wolf served as past chair of NPPC, and held prior leadership roles with the Wisconsin Pork Association, the Grant County (Wisconsin) Pork Producers, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance. At the time of his passing, he also served on the Wisconsin State Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and as a director with People’s State Bank of Prairie Du Chen, Wis., and was involved with Driftless Meats, a USDA-approved processing and retail enterprise in Viroqua, Wis.
