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CPO News

Hillenbrand Appoints Carole Phillips CPO

BATESVILLE, Ind. — Hillenbrand, Inc. announced the appointment of Carole Phillips as senior vice president and chief procurement officer. Phillips joined Hillenbrand in September 2022 and worked closely with former chief procurement officer Mike Prado, who retired at the end of 2022, to ensure continuity and effective support during the transition.

According to Kim Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand, “Carole is an accomplished supply chain executive who brings more than 25 years of experience in global manufacturing environments to Hillenbrand,” she said. “Her strategic leadership and proven track record of success will undoubtedly launch our operations to the next level and help us continue to evolve and grow Hillenbrand.”

The company states that as chief procurement officer at Hillenbrand, Phillips will be responsible for driving strategy and initiatives related to global supply management, including center-led procurement activities, and helping identify and achieve savings across the organization.

Phillips added, “The disruptions faced within the supply chain industry over the past two years has brought renewed attention to the importance of developing strong, agile supplier partnerships in order to adapt to unpredictable changes and global trends,” she said.

“Working closely with the team over the past few months has made it clear that Hillenbrand is a purpose-driven organization that is committed to positively improving the environments where we operate. I am honored to be Hillenbrand’s chief procurement officer and look forward to building on the solid foundation established under Mike Prado’s leadership during his tenure as our former CPO and continuing to drive improvements within our organization.”

Read the full announcement here.

Amy’s Kitchen Announces Oksana Woloszczuk as CSCO

PETALUMA, Calif. — Amy’s Kitchen, a national leader in organic and vegetarian frozen foods, announced five new leadership roles to its executive and management teams to support strategic goals and expansion, and continue to invest in its long-term vision of cooking delicious, organic meals that make lives easier.

The company states that in operations, Oksana Woloszczuk joins in the newly created executive role of chief supply chain officer. She is a proven leader with 30 years of experience in operations, business expansion, strategic planning, and P&L accountability. Woloszczuk was most recently vice president, North American integrated supply chain at McCain, where she led all aspects of safety, quality, continuous improvement, supply chain, and engineering for the United States and Canada. Before that, she spent over 11 years with Kellogg in successive leadership positions.

Andy Berliner, CEO of Amy’s, says, “Our business is increasingly complex with a growing workforce. With over 2,600 amazing people who produce hundreds of thousands of meals a day, we want to make sure their needs are met and we’re able to source and manage a global network of organic farmers, processors, and ingredients.”

Read the full announcement here.

Carl Mount Appointed CSCO for Zaxby’s

ATHENS, Ga. — Saucy chicken chain Zaxby’s announced Carl Mount as chief supply chain officer. With 25 years of experience, Mount comes to Zaxby’s most recently from Starbucks, where he served as senior vice president for supply chain operations. Prior to his Starbucks tenure, Mount was head of supply chain for KFC Global.

At Zaxby’s, Mount will manage partnerships across the supply chain industry to maximize the investments of franchisees.

The company states that Mount has spent his career in the food and beverage industry, providing exceptional contributions across general management, manufacturing, logistics, and procurement functions for multibillion-dollar companies, including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Yum! Brands, and Starbucks in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He was paramount in implementing processes and tools at Starbucks to generate real-time action, identifying and minimizing supply chain disruptions during the pandemic.

According to Bernard Acoca, Zaxby’s CEO, “Having served in roles both in supply chain and procurement for global brands, Carl will help us optimize solutions that better serve our franchisees, team members, and guests for maximum resiliency to supply chain challenges now and in the future,” he said.

“I am excited to partner with Carl again and begin the new year with a strong leadership team that can continue executing our ambitious goals for growing Zaxby’s in the QSR space.”

Read the full announcement here.

Iain Stewart Promoted to CSCO for Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, — Maple Leaf Foods Inc., an iconic Canadian branded food company, announced changes to its senior leadership team as it embarks on its next chapter of value creation.

The company states that Iain Stewart was promoted to the newly created role of chief supply chain officer. Under Stewart’s leadership, the company will further refine its manufacturing strategy to leverage its expertise in operations, purchasing, supply chain, and engineering into a sustainable competitive advantage.

Stewart will expand Maple Leaf Foods’ Operational Excellence System (OES) Center of Excellence, ensuring efficiencies and sustainability practices are consistently embedded throughout its operations, and optimizing operations and profitability within the pork complex.

According to Curtis Frank, president and chief operating officer, “Since he joined the company 25 years ago, Iain has worked in almost every part of the business and is a pillar at Maple Leaf Foods,” he said.

“He is a deeply respected leader with a proven track record of delivering winning results. Not only does he have important insights into what it takes to manage the pork business, but he also has the skills it takes to unite and inspire our operations, supply chain, purchasing, and engineering teams as we emerge from the intense challenges of the last couple years,” Frank added.

Read the full announcement here.