ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), Alexandria, Va.
Kurt Nagle, long-time president and CEO, announced plans to retire from the association next fall, following more than 33 years of service. Nagle began his work at AAPA in 1985 as membership services director, following seven years at the National Coal Association and Coal Exporters Association. In 1995, he was appointed president & CEO, a position he has held for 23 years. Meanwhile, William Friedman, president and CEO of the Port of Cleveland, was elected 2018-19 chairman of the board, succeeding Steve Cernak, chief executive and port director for Port Everglades.
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Va.
Steve Bradley, corporate vice president of sales for Wilbur Curtis Co., was appointed to the 2018-19 Supplier Board. Bradley joined Wilbur in 1995 as district manager, bringing over a decade of industry experience. He has held numerous positions with the organization over the past 23 years.
North American Meat Institute (NAMI), Washington, D.C.
Janet Riley, senior vice president of public affairs, announced plans to resign to become vice president of communications for Maple Leaf Foods. Riley maintains a 27-year career with NAMI, where she has appeared on major national networks and TV shows discussing issues pertaining to the meat and poultry industry. In 1994, she founded the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, and has made more than a thousand media appearances to promote hot dogs and sausages. She’s also a member of the NAMI Crisis Management Team, where she provides strategic counsel to NAMI members when needed and is often called “the 911 of the meat industry.” During her tenure, Riley has also managed the membership and education departments, the production center and the IT department.
PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, N.H.
Chris Smith was appointed chief supply chain officer, effective Oct. 15, tasked with leading operations and transportation teams. A seasoned supply chain and distribution executive, Smith maintains more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience. Previously, he spent 13 years in senior leadership for McKesson, and most recently, served as senior vice president of the Northeast region. Prior to McKesson, Smith spent 12 years in progressive logistics and finance leadership roles for The Home Depot. Meanwhile, Peter Fiore, executive vice president of distribution, announced plans to retire at the end of 2018 following 26 years of service to the company and more than 40 years in the grocery industry.
Kraft Heinz Canada, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Nina Barton will be replacing Carlos Piani as president of Kraft Heinz Canada, effective Jan. 1, 2019. For the past nine years, Barton has served in various roles within Kraft Heinz, including president of global digital online growth and Canada zone president. Piani will remain with Kraft Heinz in the newly created role of head of strategic initiatives and mergers and acquisitions.
Land O’Frost, Inc., Munster, Ind.
Chris McCarthy was hired as vice president of sales, tasked with leading sales strategy across all channels and geographies by managing sales execution, trade management optimization and the leadership and development of the sales team. Previously, McCarthy spent 24 years at Acosta Sales and Marketing, where he held various positions in retail, analytics, HQ sales and sales leadership. Most recently, he served as president of Acosta’s natural/specialty sales division, where he led a cross-functional team of over 450 associates providing sales, analytics, retail and administrative services to manufacturers of natural, organic, gourmet, specialty and ethnic foods.
Naturipe Farms, Salinas, Calif.
Steven Ware was appointed vice president and general manager of value-added fresh, responsible for pursuing growth and business expansion opportunities, as well as leading the development and management of the value-added fresh division. Ware has held a number of sales and product management positions for Dole Fresh Vegetables since 1995. Most recently, he was senior director of sales West – value-added sales. Ware began his career at American Agronomics.
J&J Family of Farms, Westlake, Fla.
David Duggan joined the sales team. Duggan maintains over 18 years of experience in the produce industry and more than 23 years of sales experience. He previously worked at Brightfarms, Robinson Fresh, Albert’s Organics, Goodness Greeness and PepsiCo, among others.
Seald Sweet, Vero Beach, Fla.
Michael Walsh joined as account executive, effective Oct. 15, tasked with further developing the company’s year-round grape program. Walsh maintains over 40 years’ experience in the produce industry. Walsh’s previous experience includes working with OAG Global, DelMonte Fresh and Chiquita Frupac, among other produce companies.
Bridges Produce, Portland, Ore.
Jose Merced joined the sales and business development, focusing on managing and developing the company’s retail program business. Merced maintains nearly 20 years of produce experience. He most recently served as lead commodity buyer of organic produce for Kroger. Throughout his 18-year career, he has worked in store management, warehouse inventory, local sourcing and as a replenishment and commodities buyer.
Dot Foods, Mt. Sterling, Ill.
Joe Little was named general manager of Dot Foods Delaware, the company’s 12th distribution center, situated in Bear, Del. Little is a 29-year veteran of the company. After spending 13 years in the corporate office, Little moved to Dot’s Maryland location, before transferring to Idaho to open that distribution center. For the last five years, Little has served as the general manager of Dot Foods New York.
BevMo!, Concord, Calif.
Long-time grocery executive Josiah Knutsen was named senior vice president of merchandising, responsible for all aspects of merchandising, pricing, promotion and planning for the beer, wine, spirits and "&More" business lines, Knutsen is a 17-year veteran of the grocery and retail industries, most recently serving as senior vice president of marketing and merchandising for Albertsons Cos.’ Northern California division, where he led a team of more than 120 members with direct profit-and-loss responsibility for nearly 300 stores generating billions of dollars in revenue annually. Knutsen also led many key initiatives, including the implementation of Safeway's processes into Albertsons' divisions following its merger. He has also held many senior leadership positions at Safeway's corporate offices since 2002.
FOODSERVICE:
CEC Entertainment, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Mahesh Sadarangani was named president of Peter Piper Pizza, effective immediately, where he will oversee strategic business development and growth. Sadarangani joined CEC in August 2014, and most recently served as chief administration officer, leading strategy, revenue management, games, supply chain and warehouse functions. Prior to joining CEC, Sadarangani oversaw revenue management for Reddy Ice and led the merger of Greatwide Logistics and Cardinal Logistics.
Shake Shack, New York
Chef John Karangis was appointed to the newly created role of executive chef and vice president of culinary innovation, effective Oct. 29, where he will oversee culinary innovation and menu development. Karangis spent seven years as executive chef of Union Square Events, the catering and venue hospitality business of Union Square Hospitality Group, where he helmed culinary efforts across all facets of the business – from intimate in-home dining experiences to 1,000-plus plated multi-course dinners, developing new concepts for sports and retail venues, modernizing in-flight dining experiences, cultivating chef collaborations and leading teams at numerous New York City establishments.
Papa John’s International, Inc., Louisville, Ky.
Mike Nettles was appointed to the newly created position of executive vice president, chief operating and growth officer. Nettles maintains more than 28 years of restaurant industry and technology experience. He joined Papa John’s in 2017 as senior vice president, chief information and digital officer, where he developed a multi-year, customer-centric strategy to transform Papa John’s technology. Under his leadership, Papa John’s mobile apps have become highly rated in both app stores, and he established new ordering partnerships, including Facebook Instant Ordering, Amazon Alexa and DoorDash. Prior to Papa John’s, Nettles served as vice president of enterprise architecture and IT strategy at Panera Bread Co. Previous to that, he served as chief technology officer for DiningIn Inc., has held positions with Torex and Brinker International, was co-founder of eMac Digital/Savista and was founder and principal of Red Chair Ventures LLC. Also, Justin Falciola was promoted to senior vice president, chief analytics and technology officer. Falciola most recently served as vice president, global enterprise architecture. Anne Fischer was promoted to senior vice president, customer experience. Fischer most recently served as vice president, product management. Paul Fabre was promoted to senior vice president, menu strategy and innovation. Fabre most recently served as vice president, R&D and quality assurance. And, Melissa Richards-Person was promoted to senior vice president, chief brand officer. Richards-Person most recently served as vice president, global brand strategy and consumer connections.
SUPPLIERS:
Mickey Truck Bodies (MTB), High Point, N.C.
Dean Sink, chairman, president and CEO of MTB and Mickey Ventures & Holdings (MV&H), will become executive chairman of both companies, where he will focus on growth and diversification outside of Mickey’s core business. Mike Tucker, executive vice president strategic growth and business development, will succeed Sink as president and CEO of MTB, responsible for all day-to-day operations, including manufacturing, sales, marketing, engineering, IT, human resources and finance. Tucker joined MTB in January 2018, working with the company’s team leaders and senior management. Previously, he spent 26 years as president and CEO of VT Hackney, Inc. Carl Mickey, Jr., senior executive vice president, will become chairman of both MTB and MV&. Matt Sink, vice president and director of corporate operations, will become executive vice president of both MTB and MV&H, responsible for MTB’s safety and quality programs. Greg Fisher, senior executive vice president, will become president and CEO of MV&H. Fisher has been with MTB for 24 years, serving in key finance and operations positions.
Trimble Transportation Enterprise, Cleveland, Ohio
Lisa Garro was named vice president of finance, responsible for onboarding acquisitions, including the companies formerly known as Maddocks, TMT Software, IDSC, Innovative Computing Corp. (ICC) and Appian. Garro maintains more than 25 years of accounting experience, and has served in a number of roles throughout her 22 years with Trimble, including as staff accountant for Forest City Enterprises and Weltman, Weinberg and Reis Co, LLC.
IFCO North America, Tampa, Fla.
Dan Martin was named president, effective Sept. 1. Martin has served in senior leadership roles in the packaging, supply chain and logistics sector for more than two decades. He most recently served as senior vice president sales and customer operations at CHEP USA, where he helped launch a new set of customer supply chain solutions. Previous to that, he served as general manager and sales leader at IFCO, where he developed and led a double-digit growth initiative predicated on product innovation and enhanced customer collaboration and service. Martin began his career at Ryder Systems, where he held roles in operations, sales, customer service and general management.
ERIKS North America, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Shawn Courtney was appointed new president and CEO, effective Nov. 1. Courtney is currently regional product director of ERIKS North America and president of ERIKS Seals and Plastics. Since 1992, he has served in multiple roles, including sales manager, general manager and president of companies within ERIKS Seals and Plastics in North America.
AIT Worldwide Logistics, Itasca, Ill.
Doug Kinney, founder of WorldFresh Express, assumed the role of station manager, upon the completion of the acquisition.
Roll-Kraft, Mentor, Ohio
Ken Fruscella was named chief financial officer, replacing Rich Lazar, who retired after more than 30 years of service. Previously, Fruscella was chief financial officer with Soundwich and Horsburgh & Scott. He maintains 30 years of experience in progressive manufacturing accounting and managerial positions, with training in lean manufacturing, kaizen and Six Sigma concepts for multi-national sites in Europe, Canada and Mexico. Working with plant management, he was instrumental in developing efficiencies to improve accounting-related metrics.
PlantTape, Salinas, Calif.
Hunter Smith joined as director of agronomy. Previously, he performed field research, developed pesticide programs and optimized growing practices for Generation Farms. Meanwhile, Matt Beck was named equipment sales and service manager. Previously, Beck worked for NH3 and Kleen Globe, where he managed equipment maintenance, purchased new and used machinery and managed equipment fleets.
R2 Logistics, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.
John Pavlick was named vice president, responsible for building out the company’s Dallas, Texas, sales office, housing client and carrier responsibilities and centralizing communication for all of R2’s branch network. Pavlick began his transportation career in 2001 with C.H. Robinson. In 2005, he joined Command Transportation, where his role expanded from client salesman to national sales manager, responsible for overseeing 30-plus sales and operations associates servicing a wide range of clients. In 2015, when Echo Global Logistics acquired Command, Pavlick further expanded his management experience and industry knowledge, specifically in LTL and managed transportation services.
Coveris Holdings S.A., Chicago
Ulf Wienböker was appointed chief technology officer of Coveris. Wienböker maintains operations experience in the flexible packaging industry, having held chief operating officer positions at Huhtamaki, and most recently, at Mondi. Bernhard Mumelter joined as chief innovation officer. Mumelter has maintained senior innovation roles for over 20 years with companies such as Unterland Flexible Packaging, Mondi, and most recently, Schur Flexibles. Carsten Grams joined the sales team of the company’s flexibles business unit. Grams maintains strong international customer portfolios within the industry at companies such as Huhtamaki and Constantia.
