Talking Rain Inc., the parent company of flavored sparkling water brand Sparkling Ice, announced on Friday the departure of CEO Chris Hall, effective April 1.
According to a statement shared with BevNET, the company’s Board of Directors has unanimously appointed board member and former COO Ken Sylvia as interim CEO.
Representatives for Talking Rain declined to offer further details. Hall also declined to comment.
Hall’s tenure at the Preston, Washington-based company is concluding after a 15-year run during which he climbed the ranks, eventually being named COO in 2017. Upon being elevated to permanent CEO the following year, one of Hall’s first tasks was helping Talking Rain navigate through a sexual harassment lawsuit against his predecessor, Kevin Klock, in which the company was named.
During Hall’s tenure, Sparkling Ice has continued to hold a leading position in the sparkling flavored water category, holding around 23% of market share, according to data from IRI. The brand has grown 9.2% over the 52-week period ended on March 12, generating around $784 million in dollar sales.
The full statement is below:
Talking Rain Beverage Company today announced that Chris Hall will step down as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2022.
The Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Ken Sylvia as Interim CEO. Ken has been with Talking Rain for more than a decade and previously served as COO.
As a trusted partner and advisor to Chris Hall, Ken has a strong understanding of every facet of the Talking Rain business and team.
Chris leaves Talking Rain after 15 years, where his impact has been felt across every department and with each individual Rain Maker.
Talking Rain will continue to deliver the number one full flavored sparkling beverage to valued consumers across the country.