PepsiCo’s Khan Joins Indigo Ag Board
Mehmood Khan, vice chairman and chief scientific officer, has been appointed to the board of directors for agriculture startup Indigo Ag, Inc.
Indigo, which creates sustainable seed treatments that improve crop yields, announced Khan’s appointment in a press release Wednesday, stating that Khan would “help support the company’s mission with his years of experience leading innovative and sustainable agriculture and nutrition initiatives.”
Khan currently oversees PepsiCo’s “Performance with Purpose” sustainability initiatives and has built a career around developing sustainable food technologies.
Val Stalowir Begins as Reed’s CEO
Global Restaurant Group founder Val Stalowir took the chief executive position at Reed’s Inc. last month, taking the helm and joining the board of directors for the iconic ginger beer manufacturer.
Stalowir takes the position over from founder Chris Reed, who resigned from the role in April but remains with the company as chief innovation officer and a board member. Stefan Freeman, a former Coca-Cola Company regional vice president of manufacturing, served as interim CEO during the transition.
Fitzgerald Named as New Mamma Chia Sales SVP
Hailing from a three year stint as the vice president of grocery, drug, and Target for Ferrara Candy Company, Mike Fitzgerald was named as the new senior vice president of sales for Mamma Chia on Monday.
According to Mamma Chia CEO Janie Hoffman, Fitzgerald has “a super strong track record” as a senior sales leader and will bring valuable team building and leadership experience.
Fitzgerald has previously held sales positions with Plum Inc. and Wrigley.
Mark Ellis Joins Rally
Bringing experience from prior positions at Muscle Milk, Boxed Water Is Better, and Coca-Cola, Mark Ellis has joined premium sports drink producer Rally as chief operating officer, the company announced earlier this month.
“Mark’s extensive knowledge and strong relationships in the beverage industry paired with his proven track record for building emerging brands make him ideal candidate to lead Rally’s Sales team,” Eric Boss, Rally president and founder, said in a press release. “We are focused on building an unparalleled team of highly talented individuals who will help bring the brand to the next level.”
Ellis said he believed the hydration-focused brand was poised for success in the recovery drink category.
Caribou Coffee Names New CEO, Taps Former Target Exec for President
Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee announced this week that Sarah Spiegel would take over as CEO, Twin Cities Business reports. Spiegel was previously the brand president of Einstein Noah Restaurant Group.
The news comes shortly after the announcement that former Target exec. John Butcher had left the chain retailer after two decades with the company to join Caribou Coffee as president.
Butcher joined Target in 1997 as a senior business analyst and held a number of executive roles throughout the company, most recently as the senior vice president of merchandising for Beauty, and the Target-owned, online-only beauty products retailer DermStore.