Cassandra Green started at Campbell’s in 2010 as a plant manager in Australia, and now she’s the company’s chief supply chain officer. Shane MacKenzie joined Superior Farms in 1997 and worked the harvest floor before becoming CEO this year. Ellory Frick Brunkhorst started at her family’s meat company when she was 15 and recently became its president.
That’s just three of the 20 executives on this list, all of whom took on a new role at a food or beverage manufacturer this year. Who a company hires for a leadership role is a strong indication of where it plans to grow. Coca-Cola and Hormel created new technology roles. B&G Foods hired a former retail technology chief as their new CEO. Campbell’s, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, and Superior Farms promoted leaders who came up through operations and supply chain.
Get to know all 20 executives below, listed alphabetically by last name, and why they’re worth watching in 2027.
John Brase, Conagra Brands
An operator moves into the CEO seat
Brase became president and CEO of Conagra Brands on June 1, 2026. He spent about 30 years at Procter & Gamble, finishing as senior vice president and general manager of its $6 billion North America Family Care business, the home of Charmin, Bounty, and Puffs. From there, he moved to J.M. Smucker as president and COO, overseeing its US retail, international, and away-from-home businesses along with sales, operations, and supply chain. After he left, Smucker eliminated the COO position.
At Conagra, Brase said he plans to accelerate “the Company’s track record of driving strong revenue growth, strengthening margins and generating robust cash flow to unlock the full potential of its brands and deliver meaningful value for consumers and shareholders.”
Abigail Buckwalter, Ocean Spray
A health science leader takes over a farmer-owned co-op
Ocean Spray hired Buckwalter as president and CEO in June 2026. The cooperative was founded by three farmers in 1930 and is now owned by about 700 farming families. Buckwalter spent the last three years as CEO of Nestlé Health Science US, a business with more than 6,000 people, and had been with Nestlé Health Science since it started 15 years earlier.
Three months into the job, Buckwalter brought in a chief strategy and transformation officer and a new chief supply chain officer. She said the co-op’s next step is to bring its strengths together “with greater clarity, pace, and discipline to accelerate growth.”
Kemal Cetin, Mars
Managing digital for a $36 billion snacking business
Cetin started on August 3, 2026, as global chief digital and information officer of Mars Snacking, a $36 billion business. Before Mars, he was global business and digital solutions officer at FrieslandCampina, with earlier stops at Diageo, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Whirlpool. His remit covers digital, data, and technology, including support for bringing the newly acquired Kellanova brands into Mars.
Andrew Clarke, global president of Mars Snacking, said Cetin will help the company “move faster, make better decisions, and build for the future.” Cetin added, “Together, we will advance the use of digital technologies, data, analytics, and AI capabilities to drive sustainable growth and create lasting value for our consumers, customers, and associates.”
Jason Dabrow, Chelten House Products
From the plant floor to CEO
Dabrow became CEO of Chelten House Products in September 2026, succeeding his father, Steve Dabrow, who stays on as chairman. The fourth-generation family company in Swedesboro, NJ, makes private label sauces and dressings, including premium and organic lines, for grocers and restaurant brands. It employs more than 500 people.
Dabrow started on the plant floor more than 20 years ago and has since led manufacturing, supply chain, quality, sales, and people operations. From 2020, he served as president and COO, during which time the company grew more than 50%. That period also included the company’s first major expansion, a greenfield plant in Nevada that Dabrow led.
As CEO, he said he’ll keep investing in people and build out the company’s culinary and manufacturing capabilities.
Ellory Frick Brunkhorst, Frick’s Quality Meats
A fifth-generation president who came up through production
Frick Brunkhorst took on the role of president of Frick’s Quality Meats on September 1, 2026, succeeding her father, Dave Frick, who led the company for about 30 years. The Washington, MO, processor was founded in 1896. She started at 15 and has spent 25 years in the business, from the production floor to product development, branding, and long-term planning.
The company credits her with leading its clean label and branding work, pushing for wage increases for every plant employee, and helping power its strongest period of growth. It will be interesting to see how that mix of brand building and investment in plant workers develops for this 130-year-old family processor.
John Ghingo, Hormel Foods
A modernization mandate at a $12 billion company
Hormel Foods named Ghingo its CEO in October 2026, to lead a company with about $12 billion in annual revenue. Ghingo spent more than 15 years at Mondelēz, led plant-based foods and beverages at WhiteWave (including Silk), and was president of Hormel’s Applegate business from 2018 to 2022. After a stint as CEO of a private equity-backed snack company, he returned to Hormel in 2024 to lead its Retail segment, the company’s largest by net sales. The board named him president in July 2025.
Hormel’s board said it expects him to “drive our modernization agenda, accelerate sustainable growth, and create long-term value for shareholders.” That work began before the promotion. In February, while Ghingo was president, Hormel named its first chief technology officer, and Ghingo said the hire would support the modernization of the company’s technology and data platforms.
Cassandra Green, Campbell’s
A former plant manager now leads the supply chain
Green became Campbell’s chief supply chain officer in March 2026 and joined the company’s Operating Committee. Since starting as a plant manager in Australia in 2010, she has managed supply chain for Campbell’s former fresh business, overseen manufacturing for the Meals & Beverages division, and steered its co-manufacturing strategy.
Green’s job now covers the full supply chain, from planning and procurement to manufacturing, and adds food safety and quality. CEO Mick Beekhuizen said she’ll help “further strengthen our supply chain to fuel the growth of our business.”
Heather Hoytink, Hershey
A PepsiCo commercial leader takes over the US business
Hoytink took over as president of Hershey’s US business on July 8, 2026. She came from PepsiCo, where she was senior vice president and chief commercial officer for US away-from-home beverages.
At Hershey, she’s accountable for the full US commercial business across confection, salty snacks, and protein, including growth in away-from-home, omnichannel, digital, and other newer channels. CEO Kirk Tanner said she brings “deep customer relationships, the operating discipline to execute at scale, and a track record of growth that will accelerate our US business.”
Sara Kafadar, izzio artisan bakery
Sharing the top job at a fast-growing bakery
Kafadar became president and chief commercial officer of izzio artisan bakery in November 2026, co-leading the Colorado company with Co-founder and CEO Etai Baron. She first joined the company as chief commercial officer in 2015, following senior positions with IAWS Foods and ARYZTA brands, including La Brea Bakery, and she will continue to lead izzio’s sales, marketing, R&D, and brand development.
According to the family-owned bakery, retail sales have grown more than 40% year over year for two years in a row, and Baron and Kafadar’s partnership has helped accelerate that growth. “I am excited to build on that foundation,” Kafadar said, “as we bring real sourdough innovation into new categories and to more tables, driving our next phase of growth.”
Aaron Leach, Wayne-Sanderson Farms
The merger integrator now leads commercial and supply chain
Wayne-Sanderson Farms named Leach chief commercial and supply chain officer effective April 1, 2026. Since joining in 2005, he has moved through financial planning, strategic planning, and supply chain roles. Along the way, he led the integration of Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms.
Leach’s new role covers sales, marketing, R&D, and supply chain for a poultry company that operates 24 facilities in seven states. CEO Kevin McDaniel said Leach and Michael Crump, promoted the same day to chief operations officer, “are well positioned to accelerate long-term growth and further strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional value to our customers.”
Shane MacKenzie, Superior Farms
From the harvest floor to CEO of an employee-owned processor
MacKenzie was named president and CEO of Superior Farms, a 100% employee-owned lamb company, in April 2026, succeeding retiring CEO Rick Stott. He joined in 1997 and has worked across the operation, including the skin shed, harvest floor, fabrication, quality control, case-ready, and international operations in the US and Australia. Most recently, as executive vice president of operations, he oversaw six operating divisions.
He brings operational discipline and a hands-on leadership style that will benefit both its employee-owners and the American lamb industry as a whole.
Arist Mastorides, Furlani Foods
A transformation leader for a private equity-owned bread maker
Furlani Foods selected Mastorides as its new CEO in September 2026. Furlani makes frozen and shelf-stable garlic bread at plants in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ontario, and private equity firm Arbor Investments acquired it in February 2026.
Mastorides was most recently executive vice president and chief customer and transformation officer at Hostess Brands, up until its sale to J.M. Smucker. Before that, he spent 30 years at Kimberly-Clark across 17 roles, finishing as president of its North American Family Care division. Arbor President John Jordan said his background “makes him the right leader for Furlani at this stage of its growth.”
Dana McNabb, General Mills
A 27-year insider with a stated growth plan
McNabb will step into the role of CEO at General Mills on January 1, 2027, with Jeff Harmening moving to executive chair. Since joining the company in Canada in 1999, she has led US Cereal, the Europe and Australia business, and North America Retail. She also served as chief strategy and growth officer, and she’s currently the company’s COO.
“Returning the company to profitable growth is the priority,” McNabb said, “and we know how we’ll get there. By building industry-leading, digitally enabled demand generation, and modernizing our supply chain, we will fundamentally improve how we operate.”
Rob Mills, B&G Foods
A retail technology chief leads a packaged foods company
Mills became president and CEO of B&G Foods on August 10, 2026, after eight years on its board. He spent the previous 12 years at Tractor Supply in strategy, operations, digital commerce, technology, AI, and M&A, most recently as executive vice president and chief technology officer of digital and pet services. Earlier, he held senior roles at Ulta Beauty and Sears Holdings.
Mills said his first priorities are “execution, operating discipline, and accelerating growth,” and he cited data, technology, and AI as capabilities that “can help us to strengthen our core brands and our overall business performance and position B&G Foods to compete more effectively.”
Kirsten Patchett, Monogram Foods
People strategy at a prepared foods manufacturer
Patchett joined Monogram Foods as chief people officer in April 2026. Patchett was previously chief human resources officer at Club Car, where she led global people strategy for a workforce of 1,400, including leadership development, workforce planning, a compensation redesign, and integrations after acquisitions.
CEO Jeff Frank said she “understands how to connect people strategy with business performance.” She’s the only HR leader on this list.
Kay Russo, DVM, Perdue Farms
A veterinarian leads the science behind a protein portfolio
Russo joined Perdue Farms in March 2026 as senior vice president of science and innovation. Her career includes senior veterinary and innovation roles at Novonesis, Land O’Lakes, and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, along with her own consulting firm, across poultry, dairy, and livestock. She leads the scientific strategy behind Perdue’s protein brands and works with its consumer research, genetics, nutrition, and processing teams on new products.
The role also supports Perdue’s no-antibiotics-ever approach and its animal welfare commitments. Chief Commercial Officer Todd Tillemans called science “foundational to who we are as a company” and said, “Dr. Russo brings the expertise and leadership needed to help us continue raising the bar on animal welfare, product quality, and innovation across our brands, while translating rigorous science into real‑world outcomes for our customers, consumers, and partners.”
Sedef Salingan Sahin, Coca-Cola
A business leader in a newly created digital role
Coca-Cola created the role of chief digital officer and promoted Salingan Sahin to the new position, effective March 31, 2026, reporting to CEO Henrique Braun. A Coca-Cola employee since 2003, she led its nutrition, juice, dairy and plant category in marketing, then led the Eurasia and Middle East operating unit.
That puts a business leader, rather than a technologist, in the job. Braun called it “a pivotal new role for our future” and said she’ll help “shape how we digitalize the enterprise end-to-end.”
Jeff Schomburger, Tyson Foods
A consumer goods sales leader takes the CEO job
Schomburger became president and CEO of Tyson Foods on October 4, 2026. After 35 years at Procter & Gamble, he retired in 2019 as global sales officer. On Tyson’s board since 2016, he chaired its Strategy and Acquisition Committee from 2021, and became lead independent director in 2025.
Tyson’s chair said his experience will help the company “accelerate our strategic priorities.” And Schomburger is taking the role as an “opportunity to strengthen our iconic brands with superior products, capitalize on emerging opportunities through AI acceleration, and continue to win with customers and consumers.”
Russ Torres, Keurig Dr Pepper
Building a standalone global coffee company
Torres joined Keurig Dr Pepper on November 3, 2026, as CEO of its coffee business, where he leads the combination of KDP’s coffee operations with JDE Peet’s. When the coffee business separates, targeted for early 2027, he’ll become CEO of the new Global Coffee Co. and join its board. He was president and COO of Kimberly-Clark and, before that, its group president for North America, with earlier roles at Newell Brands, Bain & Company, and Mondelēz.
“Russ is a proven leader with extensive experience building consumer brands, guiding global organizations through complex change, and delivering consistent results with high performing teams,” KDP Chair Pamela Patsley said. “That is precisely what Global Coffee Co. requires.” She added that the goal is “to establish Global Coffee Co. as the world’s largest pure play coffee powerhouse.”
Jeff Varcoe, J.M. Smucker
A food safety scientist now oversees quality and innovation
Varcoe became senior vice president of science and technical excellence at J.M. Smucker on August 24, 2026. He had led quality assurance and food safety at Smucker since 2023, after 21 years at Schwan’s in food safety, microbiology, R&D, and manufacturing technical services.
His group covers the technical disciplines behind product quality, compliance, and innovation, and he reports to Chief Product Supply Officer Rob Ferguson. “I am confident that under Jeff’s leadership,” Ferguson said, “we will continue to maintain the high standards of quality and safety our consumers expect, while advancing innovation across our portfolio.”
Why these 20 leaders are worth watching
These leadership appointments show what food and beverage companies are prioritizing as they head into 2027. Coca-Cola, Mars, B&G Foods, and Hormel placed technology and data leaders in executive roles. Campbell’s, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Superior Farms, and Chelten House promoted people who came up through plants and supply chains. Smucker and Perdue put scientists in charge of quality and innovation work, while Hershey, izzio, and Conagra put commercial growth front and center.
Several came from outside food manufacturing, including personal care and retail. Others spent decades with the same company. These leaders are under pressure to translate growth plans into results, and their next year will prove whether they can exceed expectations.
