PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Borden Dairy Co., Dallas, Texas
Joe DePetrillo was appointed to the newly created position of chief marketing officer, effective immediately, responsible for the creation and implementation of the company’s marketing strategy and re-defining Borden’s approach to innovation. With over 25 years’ experience across a broad range of roles in sales and marketing, DePetrillo most recently served as vice president of sales in charge of Earthbound Farms at WhiteWave Foods/Danone. Previously, he held a number of key sales and marketing leadership roles at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, a division of Nestlé, as well as at Johnson & Johnson and Best Foods. Nick Suffredin was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of research and development, effective June 25, responsible for creating new products through rigorous, scientific processes. Most recently, Suffredin served as director of research and development at Post Holdings. He maintains over a decade of experience in data-based research and development in the food and beverage space, at companies such as Pepsico and Jel Sert, and has held leadership positions at companies including Post and Integrys Energy Group. Suffredin is also the author of a number of articles on nutrition in leading publications. And, Brent Fowler was appointed vice president of operations, effective June 4, responsible for supporting and guiding Borden’s field manufacturing efforts and all plant operations leaders. Fowler comes to Borden after 27 years at Frito-Lay, where he held a number of key leadership positions, both within the plants and at the corporate level. Most recently, he served as senior director of the Dallas metro area supply chain. 

Litehouse Inc., Sandpoint, Idaho
Charmaine Cook was appointed vice president of human resources. Previously, Cook served as vice president of human resources with The Hain Celestial Group, where she oversaw HR services for over 5,000 employees and played a key role in supporting the company’s growth during her nearly 7-year tenure. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president of human resources for The Broe Group, managing its U.S. and Canadian businesses. Cook has owned and operated her own HR consulting business since 2016.

Michigan Turkey, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Brian Boerigter was promoted to chief executive officer. Boerigter has served as Michigan Turkey’s chief operating officer for the past 2.5 years, and prior to that, was the company’s chief financial officer for 16 years. Boerigter maintains 30 years’ experience in all aspects of turkey processing and sales, having spent 12 years in a variety of accounting and financial planning roles at Bil Mar/Sara Lee. Meanwhile, Beth Riffe was promoted to chief operating officer. Riffe previously served as Michigan Turkey’s vice president of technical services, and previous to that, served as R&D manager and cost optimization manager. Riffe has also worked for several other organizations, including Frito Lay, Boar’s Head and Gordon Food Service. As a result, chief executive officer Dan Lennon will become CEO-Emeritus.

Symphony RetailAI, Dallas, Texas
Todd Michaud was named president and chief customer officer of the Americas for its retail solutions division, tasked with driving Symphony RetailAI’s leadership in the high-volume retail space through end-to-end solutions that connect marketing and merchandising with supply chain and retail operations. Previously, Michaud led NCR’s global enterprise, merchandising and supply chain group as global vice president and general manager. Prior to NCR, Michaud served as president of Retalix USA, chief executive officer of Revionics, and president of IDS. Michaud has also spent 16 years at IBM Corp.

Wakefern Food Corp., Keasbey, N.J.
Erik Keptner was named senior vice president of marketing, effective July 9, tasked with developing marketing and merchandizing strategies and overseeing the company’s digital commerce and analytics, advertising, corporate merchandising, private label and Own Brand and social media and digital advertising divisions. Keptner maintains nearly 20 years of supermarket experience. Keptner has worked as senior vice president of sales, merchandising and marketing for Ahold Delhaize’s Giant Food Stores since 2014. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president of marketing and consumer insight from 2009-2012, and senior vice president of marketing and communication for Giant Food Stores.

Sabra Dipping Co., LLC, White Plains, N.Y.
Cherie Floyd was named chief technology officer, tasked with helping set the product development course for Sabra's next phase of growth. Previously, Floyd served as vice president for Kellogg North America Snacks R&D, leading areas of innovation, cost optimization and supply chain support research and development. Prior to Kellogg, she held several North America and global leadership positions across categories from cereal to snacks to frozen foods in retail, foodservice and other specialty channels. Her work included positions in Sydney Australia and overseeing the broader Asia Pacific region. Earlier in her career, Floyd worked in product development for General Mills and Pillsbury.

Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J.
Diego Palmieri was appointed vice president and chief marketing officer, U.S. meals and beverages, effective July 18, responsible for all aspects of U.S. marketing and consumer connection across the
division’s portfolio of brands, which includes Campbell’s, Chunky, Well Yes!, Slow Kettle, Swanson, V8, Plum, Pace and Prego. Palmieri joins Campbell from SC Johnson, where he spent more than two
decades in various business roles and nearly half his career in marketing. He was most recently general manager of the company’s Greater China business (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), where he built the
company’s entire e-commerce capability in China. Previously, he managed the Glade Home Fragrance business for all international markets and led the U.S. acquisition of The Caldrea Co., including Mrs.
Meyer’s. He also led the marketing for brands, including Off! Repellents and the Pledge Grab-It electrostatic duster line. Palmieri began his career at Sanyo Electric Co. and then Nestlé Argentina, where he managed the Maggisoup and bouillon business.

CarbAmericas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Zach DeHart was named berry category manager. DeHart maintains more than 21 years of experience in produce, and has spent the majority of his career working from store level to buyer at Food Lion to merchandiser at SuperValu. Most recently, DeHart was vice president of sales and marketing at Fresh Results, before finding his way back to CarbAmericas, where he handled sales in a variety of categories.

FOODSERVICE:
Restaurant Brands International Inc., Canada
The owner of Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes brands named Duncan Fulton as chief corporate officer, effective immediately. Fulton is a brand leader, digital innovator and communicator, and maintains experience running a retail network and working closely with franchisees.

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc., Canton, Mass.
The parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins appointed David Hoffmann as chief executive officer, effective immediately, succeeding Nigel Travis, who is retiring after serving as CEO since January 2009. Hoffmann will also remain president of Dunkin' Donuts U.S., and Travis will become executive chairman of the board of directors. Hoffmann helped implement a multi-year Blueprint for Growth, designed to transform Dunkin' Donuts into becoming a beverage-led, on-the-go brand. He also led all aspects of Dunkin' Donuts' U.S. operations, supply chain, marketing, consumer packaged goods (CPG) growth, digital innovation and franchise development, directed the creation of Dunkin' Donuts' next-generation concept store, oversaw the addition of new Dunkin' restaurants in the United States and advocated for numerous sustainability initiatives. Before joining Dunkin' Brands, Hoffmann spent 22 years with McDonald's Corp., first working in field operations, then moving to the corporate office where he held leadership positions in several key functions, including strategy and insights, development, training, operations and supply chain. In 2008, he was named McDonald's vice president of strategy and franchising in Japan, and later held general management positions covering a wide range of international markets. He was ultimately named president, high growth markets, which included China, South Korea, Russia and several additional European markets. Prior to McDonald's, Hoffmann worked for Arthur Andersen. Under Travis' leadership, Dunkin' Brands completed an IPO in 2011. Over the past 10 years, he helped the company gain entry into 25 new international markets and added almost 6,000 new restaurants globally, including more than 2,800 new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the United States. Travis also directed the launch of numerous key business initiatives, including the introduction of Dunkin'-branded CPG such as Dunkin' K-Cups and Ready-to-Drink Bottled Iced Coffees, and oversaw the introduction of mobile payment apps for both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, the DD Perks Loyalty Program, Dunkin' Donuts' On-the-Go Mobile Ordering and home delivery programs around the globe.

Papa John’s International, Inc., Louisville, Ky.
John Schnatter resigned as chairman of the board. Olivia Kirtley will act as the company’s lead independent director.

SUPPLIERS:
Pilot Freight Services, Lima, Pa.
Brian Flower was promoted to Northeast regional vice president, focusing on optimizing efficiencies to grow the business and implementing new systems to meet customers’ needs. Flower has served as district manager of Pilot’s Newark, N.J., (EWR) station since joining the company in 2010. During his first year at Pilot, EWR became the company’s first corporate certified cargo screen facility (CCSF), and Flower helped model the program for expansion to other stations. He also provided a link for other stations to IT by testing company initiatives prior to launch. Christine Morgan was also promoted to Southeast regional vice president, where she will drive revenue and oversee the Charlotte, N.C., station. Morgan joined the company in 2015, holding managerial roles in the company’s Greenville, S.C., (GSP) and Charlotte, N.C., (CLT) stations. In Greenville, she facilitated solutions to enhance new and existing client accounts and grew final mile deliveries, and helped increase profits at CLT by more than 25%.

SubZero Constructors, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Vince Free was named vice president of thermal operations. Free brings over a decade’s worth of industry experience, specializing in project management and new client acquisition. He also serves on the board of the International Association of Cold Storage Contractors (IACSC), a unit of Global Cold Chain Alliance. Free joined SubZero in 2013 as a project manager, and has been instrumental in the growth of SubZero's client base. Free will also focus on incorporating advanced marketing communication strategies.

Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), Kieler, Wis.
Jim Whitehead was named vice president of sales and marketing, charged with overseeing business development, including regional sales and FDA-focused sales initiatives, as well as marketing and brand development. Previously, Whitehead led the USDA corporate account team for PSSI, which he will continue leading until a new successor is named. Whitehead maintains a 30-year career in the food safety and sanitation industry. He started working in the sanitation chemical business, primarily with Chemidyne and Ecolab, where he was a high performer in direct sales and service roles. He then served as executive vice president for Superior Contract Cleaners, which PSSI acquired in 2012.

Kardex Remstar, LLC, Westbrook, Maine
Mark Dunaway was promoted to president of the North American region, effective July 1, where he will maintain direct responsibility for all facets of the North American business, as well as work in close cooperation with the company’s global head of functions. Dunaway maintains a 17-year tenure with Kardex Remstar, taking on several sales and management roles.

Dorner Manufacturing, Hartland, Wis.
Chuck Sena was named industry manager – sanitary, working with sales, marketing and channel partners to develop and execute strategic plans to drive sales of Dorner’s sanitary conveyor platform to both new and existing customers and markets. Sena brings nearly 30 years’ experience of conveyor, packaging machinery and specialty handling equipment sales and marketing. He most recently served as distributor manager for packaging products at Nercon. His career also includes selling weigh scales and metal detector products within the food, personal care and chemical industries.  

Paxxal Inc., Noblesville, Ind.
Ellwood Hunt III was appointed chief operating officer, effective Aug. 1, with global responsibility for manufacturing, logistics and operations. Hunt brings more than three decades of operational expertise to the role, having most recently served as senior vice president of manufacturing and product development for IGPS Logistics, where he fostered key relationships with Fortune 500 companies in the supply chain industry and plastic pallet industry globally. Previous to that, Hunt spent five years as vice president, sales/operations of Teph Seal Auto Appearance; served as vice president of operations and logistics and customer service for seven years with CHEP and spent 23 years at PepsiCo, where he was regional/market unit general manager, among other operational positions.

Key Technology, Walla Walla, Wash.
The member of the Duravant family of operating companies promoted Bret Larreau to director of Latin America and Asia sales, responsible for managing Key’s sales activities in the Latin America, Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand regions. Larreau will also serve as major account manager for PepsiCo’s global business. Larreau maintains more than 30 years of experience with food processing equipment, and has been with Key Technology for 15 years. Previous positions include manager of business development and product manager for advanced inspection systems. Before joining Key, he was a senior project manager for Integrated Packaging Systems, and prior to that, worked in engineering, manufacturing management, sales support management and product management for DSI/Stein, part of FMC FoodTech/JBT.

Northrop Grumman, Falls Church, Va.
Wes Bush announced plans to step down as chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2019, but will remain chairman through July 2019. As a result, Kathy Warden, president and COO, was elected president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Warden joined the company in 2008, and has held a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president and general manager of the company’s cybersecurity business, president of its former information systems sector and president of the mission systems sector.

Controlant, San Francisco
Vally Helgadottir was named chief services officer, responsible for managing Controlant’s customer success and service program and its high-velocity services model. Helgadottir is a seasoned customer success executive with more than 15 years of international pharmaceutical experience. Prior to Controlant, she was department manager, customer service, for Distica, and before that, was customer service manager for Medis, where she managed service and support for large international customers. In the United States, she served on the agency side for three separate pharmaceutical agencies under the Publicis Group umbrella. And, Stefan Karlsson joined as vice president, people and culture, respectively, responsible for employee recruitment, growth and development companywide. Karlsson is also a co-founder of Controlant and previously served as chief operating officer, where he led the company’s day-to-day operations, including executing business strategy and introducing new products to new markets. Karlsson is a seasoned executive with more than 10 years of experience in the leadership field. Prior to Controlant, Karlsson was vice chairman and CEO of Knattspyrnufelagid Valur, and helped build up Vinnuföt.

Barcom, Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn.
Dale Conerly was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing, effective immediately, responsible for all direct and partner sales efforts throughout North America, with focus on expanding sales of its transACTION software suite and integration of emerging technologies. Conerly maintains over 25 years of experience in sales and commercial electrical contracting. He joined Barcom in 2005 as sales engineer in the Southeast territory covering Nashville, Tenn., to Memphis, Tenn., and Mississippi. Conerly also played a critical part in the set up and implementation of the company’s customer relationship management system, and helped launch the company’s professional services offering, which includes consulting services, maintenance packages and custom programming.

Primex Plastics Corp., Richmond, Ind.
Garrett Donatelli was appointed territory business manager for the New England area. Donatelli maintains extensive experience in the plastics industry, primarily in the sales of color concentrates, additives and recycling/reprocessing services. He will primarily focus on development of market opportunities for Primex’s color, compounding and additives business.

IN MEMORIUM: JAMES SUMAS, WAKEFERN FOOD CORP.

James Nicholas Sumas, long-time patriarch of Village Super Market, Inc., which owns and operates 30 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, passed away July 7.

Sumas was a member, mentor and guiding force at Wakefern Food Corp., Keasbey, N.J.

An icon in the supermarket industry, Sumas helped turn his family’s neighborhood grocery store into a company powerhouse with 30 ShopRite supermarkets in four states.

He also played a key role at Wakefern by helping guide the cooperative during its early, formative years. He was a trusted advisor who served on numerous committees, and became Wakefern’s grocery committee chairman in 1957, a post he held for nearly 60 years.

Sumas also served as vice chairman of Wakefern and was a member of its board of directors for over 30 years. In addition, he served as chairman of Wakefern’s Advertising committee and vice chairman of Wakefern’s Sales and Merchandising committee and of ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc. Jimmy was also a member of Wakefern’s Trade Name and Trademark, Strategic Planning and Customer Satisfaction committees.

He was elected Village Super Market’s chairman of the board in 1989 and named chief executive officer in 2002. He also served as vice president, treasurer and a director of the company since its incorporation in 1955.

Sumas is survived by his wife Helen Sumas (nee Dillon), daughters Dr. MariaElaina (Mia) Sumas (Patrick Baker) and Stephanie Sumas, son John James Sumas (Dr. Alexandra Liggatt) and grandsons Theodore-James Sumas and James Beau Sumas. He is also survived by his brother Robert Sumas (Deana) and his sister-in-law Harriet Pallantios (Pete), along with a very large extended and loving Greek family. He is predeceased by his brother Sturgis Sumas.

A funeral ceremony will take place July 13 at 11 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church, Roseland, N.J., with entombment to follow at Somerset Hills Memorial Park, Basking Ridge, N.J. 

IN MEMORIUM: PEGGY ARMSTRONG, INTERNATIONAL DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION

Margaret “Peggy” Armstrong passed away May 21 after a brief illness.

Armstrong served as communications director for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., since February 2008, and before that, served as communications director for then-Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, among other positions.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Rescue Alliance, Washington, D.C.

IN MEMORIUM: DOUG CYGAN, JEWEL-OSCO

Doug Cygan, president of Jewel-Osco, an Itasca, Ill.-based division of New Albertsons Inc., passed away after a brief illness.

Prior to his appointment in 2017, he was vice president of marketing and merchandising for all 187 Jewel-Osco locations in the Chicagoland area. In that role, he supervised all aspects of marketing, merchandising, promotion and sales strategies.

Cygan began his career with Jewel-Osco more than three decades ago as a part-time clerk, and has served in a variety of operational roles and marketing/merchandising positions, including store director, marketing director, vice president of fresh merchandising and vice president of grocery merchandising.