Going from coffee to coconuts, Chris Gallant has been named CEO of ZICO Rising, officially joining the resurrected coconut water brand a week after announcing his departure from influencer-founded startup Chamberlain Coffee.
Gallant succeeds ZICO CEO Tom Hicks, who will stay with the brand in the role of chief commercial officer.
Gallant’s appointment comes as ZICO Rising enters a new phase focused on driving distribution while thinking “very strategically” about the brand and category, according to founder Mark Rampolla. The no-sugar-added coconut water company recently landed its product line – which includes Natural and Chocolate varieties – at select Costco locations. The brand also has distribution at Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons and Walmart, among others.
Rampolla purchased ZICO Rising (then just ZICO) back from The Coca-Cola Company in 2021 after Coke discontinued the brand in 2020 as part of a mass culling that trimmed 200 underperforming global brands from its portfolio. He said that Hicks – who joined as CEO in 2021 – did an “extraordinary job” getting ZICO Rising from zero to where it is today, calling it the top-growing brand in the category (albeit one with a much smaller distribution and sales base).
At $6.5 million, ZICO Rising’s aseptic juice sales were up 25 percent over the 52-week period ending July 23, according to Circana retail data covering total US – Multi Outlet with C-Store, including Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military and Select Club & Dollar Retailers. Category leader Vita Coco was up 14 percent, to $325 million, in the same category. In bottles, ZICO was up 18 percent, to $2.1 million, compared to Harmless Harvest, at $33 million.
Speaking with BevNET earlier this week, Gallant said he is excited to see where he can take ZICO Rising while keeping the focus on its core products, especially given the recent boom in demand for coconut water. Coconut water category unit sales volumes are up 13% overall over the past 52-week period ending August 24, and dollar sales were up 26.5% over the same period, according to NielsenIQ data compiled by Goldman Sachs.
“We’ll be thinking about how we can reach new audiences with these core products,” said Gallant. “You can really see the growth of coconut water and hydration products in both liquid and powder form. And I think coconut water is the best way to hydrate.”
Gallant comes to ZICO after spending three years as CEO at Chamberlain Coffee, the coffee and lifestyle brand founded by social media star Emma Chamberlain – who took over as co-CEO last month following Gallant’s departure.
Prior to Chamberlain Coffee, Gallant, a former consultant, held positions at Red Bull, The Heineken Company and Aqua ViTea. He also founded Bronx Brewery, a small craft brewery in the Port Morris neighborhood of the South Bronx.
While at the larger companies, Gallant said he learned to stay true to a brand’s roots while building innovation around core products. In the startup world, he learned the importance of scrappiness, taking a small marketing budget and “turning it into something beautiful.”
During his tenure at Chamberlain Coffee, Gallant grew the startup into a national brand found in over 12,000 retailers. He also helped the company grow its portfolio with ready-to-drink (RTD) lattes and expand internationally into Canada.
Earlier this year, tennis star and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka joined ZICO as an investor and brand ambassador, a move the company called an extension of Osaka’s longstanding loyalty to the product for its naturally hydrating properties. The company has also added NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf to its growing roster of celebrity partners.
ZICO Rising is now doubling down on routes to market, innovation and consumer positioning, which will allow Hicks to focus on selling while Gallant focuses on strategy.
According to Rampolla, the first time around, ZICO specifically targeted selling to Coca-Cola. But not this time.
“Our goal is to build a brand and business that’ll last forever. At some point, we do believe that will be valuable to several potential investors, but first and foremost, we are building ZICO to last,” he said. “We do that right, and the rest will take care of itself.”