“It gives me great pleasure to announce Lee Brooks’ appointment to chief operating officer of Bell Flavors & Fragrances. This well-deserved promotion is a testament to Lee’s unwavering dedication, exceptional work ethic, and inclusive cross-functional and operational leadership,” says Ron Stark, president & CEO.

“Since joining our team, Lee has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to drive operational excellence, while taking on more responsibilities and fostering a culture of teamwork focused on safety and continuous improvement. Lee leads by example with thorough execution and follow-through, and he demonstrates a personal commitment to each direct report, his team and our company’s success. He has been instrumental in increasing our growth and laying the strategic groundwork for even greater growth for our company in the future,” says Stark.

Previously serving as vice-president of global flavor & fragrance operations, Brooks will now oversee Bell’s global operations.

He joined the company in January 2020 as the vice-president of fragrance operations in Middletown, NY and was promoted to his previous role in September 2020, based in Northbrook, IL.

“I am truly honored and grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to continuing to work alongside the talented and dedicated teams at Bell. Together, we will refine our processes, embrace innovation, and leverage our automated, global infrastructure to streamline operations and deliver exceptional service to customers worldwide,” says Brooks.

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Before joining the Bitzel’s last year, Henderson worked in the luxury country club space in various sales roles, most recently working for the PGA Tour as director of sales and marketing for TPC Sugarloaf.

“Lisa has been instrumental in developing some of our most important accounts,” says Founder Ray Bitzel. “In her new role, one of her top goals will be to focus on growing beyond Georgia and the Southeast, developing the strategy and the resources to help us grow at a scalable pace. It’s a challenge for any young company, but Lisa has proven she has the knowledge and the skills to help us get there.”

“We’ve been in business for a full year, building relationships and awareness in the Atlanta area and steadily increasing the business locally, regionally and nationally,” says Henderson. “Now we want to expand our reach and the scope of what we do, not just in Gwinnett County or the state of Georgia but nationwide and beyond.

“The goal is to have Bitzel’s Chocolate sold in amusement parks and sporting venues across America, Mexico and Canada,” she says. “We’re partnering with teams here locally in Atlanta but would love to expand that reach further. Customization is our specialty, and sports teams have really fun mascots and logos to feature! I also plan to focus on the hospitality and travel spaces – hotel groups, cruise lines, first class cabins and sky lounges. Bitzel’s chocolate would be a perfect addition to luxury amenities offered throughout these spaces.

“Honestly, the product speaks for itself. It’s a luxury product all around, from the way the chocolate looks, the taste, the texture, the packaging — everything is done so incredibly well, and it’s sustainable and locally sourced on top of that,” she says. “This is a product I can stand behind and be proud and excited to sell.”

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Kuhn joins Mondelēz from Reckitt’s hygiene business. Before Reckitt, he spent 26 years with Procter & Gamble, leading business across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. He led the carve-out and divestiture of Duracell from P&G to Berkshire Hathaway. His experience includes 10 years leading the Pringles Snacks division in Europe, as well as working in disciplines including finance, brand marketing, business development and general management.

“We’re delighted to welcome Volker Kuhn to our Mondelēz International family,” says Van de Put. “His breadth and depth of international consumer packaged goods experience, coupled with his track record of impressive results and leadership impact, position him well to accelerate growth in our European region while continuing to strengthen consumer loyalty to our iconic brands.”

Kuhn serves as chairman and a non-executive board member of FROSTA AG, a European frozen food company. He is fluent in German, English, and French. He earned a master’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Fribourg, and he holds dual German and Swiss citizenship.

“On behalf of Team Mondelēz, and especially our European colleagues, I’d like to thank Vince for his strong leadership and passionate dedication in driving commercial and operational excellence, consumer loyalty, and employee development,” says Van de Put. “With Vince at the helm, we have advanced core brands including Cadbury, Milka and Oreo across Europe, while expanding into exciting adjacencies such as snack bars, cakes and pastries – setting up the business for continued growth and success. We wish him the very best in retirement.”

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Gomes is responsible for the end-to-end supply chain including three factories: Erlanger, KY; Rockford, IL; and Toluca, Mexico.

He brings more than 30 years of supply chain and manufacturing experience within CPG and food industry companies to the role, working with companies including Procter & Gamble, Mondelēz International Inc., and Bonduelle.

“Demand continues to be strong in our North America existing business of Airheads candy, Mentos gum and mints, and Chupa Chups, as well as the Trident, Dentyne and Bubblicious chewing gum brands Perfetti acquired a year ago,” says Buxton. “We’re pleased to have Mike bring his leadership and extensive experience in the food and CPG industry to our North America supply chain team, which plays a vital part in our future growth and delivery of category innovation to our markets.”

Gomes earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Universidad Metropolitana UNIMET in Caracas, Venezuela where he also pursued a Master of Business with a concentration in Finance at I.E.S.A, Caracas, Venezuela. He served as an auxiliary teacher at UNIMET in Physics & Rational Mechanics, and as a Diversity team leader while at P&G.

“I am thrilled to join Perfetti Van Melle and am inspired by the team as well as innovative and collaborative culture here,” says Gomes. “I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued success delivering candy, gum and mints that are well-loved around the Americas.”

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“Historically, we have done a great job sourcing and creating excellent relationships with our factories that required many individuals in our companies involved at the same time,” says BJ Ruckriegel, president of CandyRific. “We know the future of CandyRific and Hilco Sweets needs a fully focused team member that oversees all aspects of sourcing daily, and we are looking forward to Alex joining us.”

With more than a decade of experience in the CPG industry, Guarneri previously served as Bazooka Candy Brands’ senior manager of new product sourcing and commercialization. Prior to that, she held positions with Mars Wrigley and the Frankford Candy Co.

“We are very excited over the experience and energy that we know Alex will bring to this position, taking CandyRific and Hilco Sweets to the next level in our continued growth,” says Lou DiMarco, president of Hilco Sweets. 

Frank Puglia, executive vice-president, licensing and product development for CandyRific and Hilco Sweets adds: “Alex’s wealth of knowledge and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our supply chain strategies and drive operational excellence.”

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“Tim Bosslet has been instrumental in shaping our financial strategy over the past several years and given the trajectory of the company, elevating his role to CFO was a natural decision,” says Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO. “With Tim at the helm of our financial operations, we are confident in our ability to continue expanding and achieving new milestones as a brand. We are excited to celebrate his well-earned promotion.”

In his previous roles at Chomps, Bosslet served as sr. director of finance, VP of finance, and senior VP of finance. Prior to joining Chomps, he worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Houlihan Lokey.

“I am incredibly grateful to Pete, Rashid, and the entire Chomps team for this opportunity,” says Bosslet. “Being part of Chomps’ remarkable growth over the past few years has been an exciting time in my professional career, and I look forward to stepping into this new role as we continue to reach new audiences, expand our distribution and build a brand that consumers love.”

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Patt brings an extensive background of sales and managerial experience to Dorner spanning nearly 30 years, beginning his career as a tool and die journeyman.

“What excites me about coming to Dorner is the opportunity to lead a team of professionals,” says Patt. “Conveyance is important. It is in every aspect of our lives. When you combine Dorner with the strengths of Columbus McKinnon, it really positions us well to develop automation solutions that best support our customers.”

“The broad background of experience that Tim possesses really suits him well to oversee and further develop our regional managers, create strategy and execute the sales plan to help our customers grow into 2025 and beyond,” says John Kuhnz, vice-president of sales, precision conveyance at Dorner.

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Storm joins SpartanNash following an 18-year career with Kellogg’s and its spin-off Kellanova, where she was most recently the vice-president of commercial strategy. Prior to that, she held a variety of marketing roles, including vice-president of marketing in which she oversaw brand and innovation across the $3 billion salty category.

“Erin is a talented brand marketer with proven success in growing the demand for products that have become popular household favorites,” says SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam. “She will play a pivotal role in driving brand awareness for our retail banners and OwnBrands portfolio, capturing market share, and leveraging consumer insights for product innovation.”

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Béquet Confections produces gourmet caramels without added preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavors.

“Consumers are looking for clean foods and confections, made with superior ingredients that are free from artificial components,” says Grossman. “Béquet Caramel is not only clean, it tastes incredible. I’m honored to work with this stellar team to promote the premium Béquet brand.”

Reporting to the co-presidents of Béquet, Grossman will lead the development and execution of strategic revenue generation. As CRO, he will also oversee the product development and commercialization teams, as well as cultivate partnerships with clients and evaluating potential business opportunities.

Prior to joining Bequet, Grossman served as chief growth officer at YummyEarth, where he led sales and brand development for the organic confection brand. His background also includes sales and management positions at Ford Gum & Machine Co., New Era Brands, Imaginings 3 (Flix Candy), and Ragolds.

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“I am excited to join CandyRific, and for the opportunity to represent the licenses of some of the most well-known brands in the world,” says Quinn. “I look forward to driving sales and distribution of CandyRific’s iconic products.”

“We are excited to have Shayne join the team at CandyRific and look forward to his leadership and contributions to CandyRific’s continued growth,” says BJ Ruckriegel, president.

He will be based in Tampa, FL.

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Before joining Haribo, Ulrich worked with Ball Corp., where she served as vice-president of commercial for North & Central America, overseeing a $6 billion commercial portfolio for the aluminum beverage packaging division.

Ulrich has also held senior executive positions at Mars Wrigley, Nintendo, Johnson & Johnson and Pillsbury.

“I’m proud to welcome Shirley and the deep expertise she brings as SVP of sales on our growing Haribo team,” says Rick LaBerge, chief commercial officer. “Her ability to form meaningful relationships, deep knowledge of the industry and passion for putting customers first are just some of the qualities that make her an exemplary leader. She builds high performance teams and we’re thrilled to have her on ours as we continue on our mission to create moments of childlike happiness through Haribo treats.”

The company says Ulrich will join Haribo of America’s Management Team and play a key role in driving sustainable growth for the brand.

“I’ve always been drawn to iconic brands, so I’m excited to join the Happy World of Haribo and be part of the growth journey with our retail partners and sales teams,” says Ulrich. “We know consumers have a special place in their hearts for Haribo gummies, and for this brand that gives so much back to the communities where we live and work. We’re focused on making sure consumers can get to know and interact with our brand in exciting ways and find us throughout the retail landscape as they’re looking for those moments of joy.”

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