Retirements and appointments shake up leadership lineups at Utz, Nestlé, and more

Rice served Utz in numerous roles in a career that spanned over 50 years. He joined the family business in 1968 and became executive vice president in 1970; president and CEO in 1978; and chairperson and CEO in 1992. In 2012, Rice turned the day-to-day senior leadership for the then-family-owned company to Dylan Lissette, a fourth-generation family member through marriage.

Utz became a publicly traded company in 2020, after which Rice served as a director and chairperson emeritus on the Utz Brands Inc. board of directors.

During his tenure, Rice is credited for diversifying the company with pretzels, cheese curls and other salty snack food subcategories, expanding Utz’s capabilities and capacity while also leading the business’s accelerated geographic expansion beyond its central Pennsylvania and Maryland roots. Rice was often quoted as saying, “Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves. Pay attention to the details.” This mantra has lived on and is often repeated among Utz associates.

“Mike is a true Utz icon whose contributions to the company are too numerous to count,” said Howard Friedman, Utz CEO. “What was always clear was Mike’s treatment of the associates of this company as family. His legacy as one of the true architects of Utz’s amazing success will forever live on. We are thrilled that Mike will continue to participate with guidance and insight to the Utz board in an observer capacity.”

William “B.J.” Werzyn Jr. is the executive chairman, founder and CEO of West Shore Home  LLC, is one of the largest direct-to-consumer home remodelers.

“The board is thrilled to have identified B.J. Werzyn, a Pennsylvania native and business leader, as the replacement for Mike’s board seat,” said Dylan Lissette, chairperson of the Utz board of directors. “B.J.’s entrepreneurial background and his technology experience, combined with his business acumen, will be an invaluable addition to our board.”

Werzyn has served as CEO of West Shore Home since 2006, and he has served as the company’s executive chairman since October 2020. West Shore employs more than 3,000 people and has annual revenue of more than $750 million.

In 2022, under Werzyn’s leadership, West Shore launched the nonprofit organization West Shore for Warriors, an organization to serve U.S. veterans, active military members and their families.

Freixe joined Nestlé in France in 1986. Since then, he has progressed within the company, assuming positions of increasing responsibility across different businesses, markets and zones. He successfully managed Zone Europe during the financial and economic crisis, from 2008 until 2014. He then took over as CEO of Zone Americas, where he accelerated growth. Following the creation of Nestlé’s new zone structure in 2022, Freixe was named CEO Zone Latin America, where he has been successfully leading through challenging conditions.

Freixe has been a member of the executive board for 16 years and, as such, has played an important role in strengthening the strategic direction of the company and its portfolio. With his of Nestlé’s culture and values, he has led several corporate initiatives to improve productivity, increase operational efficiency, simplify processes and drive innovation.

"I have known Laurent for a long time and highly regard him as a talented leader with strategic acumen, extensive in-market experience and expertise, as well as a deep understanding of markets and consumers. He has demonstrated his ability to deliver results in challenging market conditions... Laurent is the perfect fit for Nestlé at this time. Under his leadership, Nestlé will further strengthen its position as a dependable, reliable company through consistent and sustainable value creation," said Paul Bulcke, the Nestlé board chairman, in a release.

"I would also like to express our gratitude to Mark for his significant contributions to Nestlé and for his outstanding, steady leadership in turbulent times. Mark has been instrumental in the great progress we have made on our sustainability agenda," Bulcke continued.

Deanna Brady, executive vice president, retail, for Hormel Foods Corp., will retire from the company at the end of its fiscal year on October 27, 2024. During nearly three decades with Hormel, Brady led teams across both the food service and retail lines of business.

Brady began her career with Hormel Foods in September 1996 as a food service territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and held various food service sales positions throughout the United States. She was promoted vice president, food service sales, in 2007; advanced to group vice president, food service, in 2015; and became executive vice president of the company's former Refrigerated Foods Division in 2019. She assumed her current position in 2022.

"Deanna's leadership, passion for change and unwavering commitment to both our business and community have left an indelible mark on Hormel Foods. She has guided numerous businesses to record growth and has managed multi-billion-dollar divisions. While her business achievements are impressive, it is the culture that she has built that will continue to inspire us. Her impact will be felt long after she steps into this well-deserved next chapter," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and CEO at Hormel Foods said in a release.

John Ghingo will join Hormel Foods on September 2 and assume leadership of the retail segment on October 28. Ghingo is well known to Hormel Foods, having served as president of Applegate Farms LLC from 2018 through 2022.

Ghingo has extensive experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. After his tenure at Applegate, Ghingo served as CEO of a better-for-you snacking company owned by private equity firm Kainos Capital. Prior to Applegate, Ghingo served as the president of plant-based foods and beverages at the WhiteWave Foods Co., where he led the Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands. Before joining WhiteWave, he spent more than 15 years at Mondelēz International, where he held numerous leadership roles in marketing and general management supporting well-known brands such as Oreo, Planters, Cadbury and Trident.

"Clayton brings his passion, experience, and proven track record of results to the Golden State Foods Conyers Team," said Steve Ross, GSF Senior Vice President, Operations, Liquid Products North America (LPNA). "Throughout his career, Clayton has demonstrated a unique ability to develop and challenge high-performing teams, while remaining consistent with our shared approach to values."

Prior to joining GSF, Stouffer served as Plant Manager for Treehouse Foods (Northlake, Texas), leading the company's Coffee Center of Excellence, a newly acquired coffee plant. Clayton's nearly 10 years of experience includes serving as Plant Manager from 2021–2023 for the Treehouse Foods facility in Dixon, Illinois, where he oversaw the aseptic cheese and pudding production plant. Earlier in his career, he served in manager and supervisor roles for Hormel Foods in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Originally from Lena, Wisconsin, Stouffer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology Management with an emphasis in Manufacturing Technology Management from the University of Wisconsin (Platteville, Wisconsin).

Ruberti joins the Zevia Board, currently serving as Managing Director Americas and General Manager USA at Waterdrop, a mission-driven company focused on disrupting the hydration industry with functional hydration cubes. He has extensive beverage industry experience, including 16 years in executive leadership roles at Red Bull as Chief Commercial Officer in North America and President of Red Bull Distribution Company. Mr. Ruberti recently served on the Board of Directors of Celsius Holdings, Inc., from 2021 to 2024.

“Alexandre is a pace-setting leader with a proven ability to develop and execute strategies that deliver sustainable top- and bottom-line growth specifically within beverage,” said Amy Taylor, President and CEO of Zevia. “His experience leading and scaling major, high-growth brands globally and his depth of knowledge and experience in distribution and in designing competitive route-to-market partnerships make him an outstanding addition to Zevia’s Board of Directors.”

“We are pleased to welcome Alexandre to the Zevia Board of Directors,” said Paddy Spence, Chair of the Board. “His deep beverage industry experience and strong network will provide invaluable perspective and leadership for the next phase of our journey as we focus on accelerating growth and profitability.”

“It’s a privilege to join the Zevia Board at such a pivotal time for the company,” said Alexandre Ruberti. “I am a big believer in the Zevia brand, and I look forward to collaborating with this talented team of executives and directors, leveraging my beverage experience to advance the company’s mission and growth strategy.”