Tractor Beverage Company Brings on Asif Khalid as First COO
Foodservice organic beverage provider Tractor Beverage Company has tapped Asif Khalid as its first COO, a position created “specifically to allow the company to leverage his diverse skills” in the beverage space, according to a press release.
“Tractor Beverage was a great fit because there’s a lot of shared values. I really believe in the mission, and I have throughout my career, of bringing cleaner, better-for-you beverages to foodservice,” Khalid told BevNET.
CEO Kevin Sherman said in the release that the addition of Khalid will help the company “go into 2023 the strongest [it has] ever been with a high-velocity operating model that will empower the team to deliver an unmatched caliber of service to [its] pouring partners.”
Founded in 2014, the Idaho-based beverage company markets a portfolio of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages such as soft drinks, iced teas and lemonades. Tractor Beverage’s products are available at a variety of restaurants and foodservice outlets nationwide, including Chipotle, Capital One Café and True Food Kitchen, among others.
The newly-appointed COO spent 14 years at 7-Eleven where he held several leadership positions, including senior product development manager of private brands, senior category manager of non-alcoholic beverages and director of store innovation.
“[During] my time at 7-Eleven, there were similar aggressive growth plans for private label business and by really honing in and focusing on innovation, quality and differentiation, we were able to achieve those goals,” he said.
Before signing on to Tractor Beverage, Khalid also served as founder and CEO of Good Gracious Beverages, a foodservice company on a mission to craft sustainable drink offerings and increase margins with minimal footprint. While there, he developed 10 new products and a new-to-market equipment solution for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, according to LinkedIn.
Khalid told BevNET that his blueprint for Tractor Beverage is multi-faceted and includes “extremely aggressive” growth plans alongside plans to add more operational capabilities and create new innovations.
Longtime Gelson’s Leader Retires, John Bagan Promoted to President and CEO
Longtime Gelson’s leader Rob McDougall has retired after 15 years with the Southern California-based supermarket chain. He will be succeeded by new president and CEO John Bagan, who has been promoted from his previous position as COO.
McDougall first joined the supermarket chain in 2007 and rose to the CEO position in 2014. During his time at the company, the industry veteran “sought to place a greater emphasis on fresh foods, along with organic and local products, recognizing the changing habits of Southern California shoppers,” according to a press release.
During his tenure, the former CEO also grew the chain from 18 to 27 locations including opening three locations in San Diego in 2016.
Bagan’s appointment as CEO marks his third promotion in two years, having most recently moved from COO into the role as president in July.
Concurrently, Gelson’s promoted Rich Gillmore to VP of center store and Sean Saenz to VP of Fresh Foods.
ISH Adds New CMO
Non-alcoholic beverage producer ISH has added Stephanie Illgner to the team as CMO. She comes to the company from Carlsberg, a 176-year-old multinational brewery.
As part of her new role, Illger will be tasked with growing the brand’s presence in the global non-alcoholic drinks market.
Founded in 2018, that Copenhagen-based brand produces a wide portfolio of non-alcoholic spirits, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails. Morten Sørenson was inspired to create the brand following a 100-day break from drinking alcohol.
Most recently, ISH splashed into the U.S. in 2022 with two NA sparkling wines, three NA spirits (rum, gin and tequila) and three canned NA cocktails (Spritz, G&T and Lime Daiquiri).
“ISH speaks to some very current megatrends about moderation, well-being and of course taste, and that made me really excited about switching, even though it’s a much smaller brand,” said Illgner in the release. “I’m very impressed by what the team has accomplished in such a short life span and I look forward to building on top of that as we grow the brand internationally.”