CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Kalahari Biltong, a meat-based snack brand, announced today that Chris Hickey has joined the company as CEO. In his new role, Hickey will work in tandem with the company’s three co-founders to accelerate the growth of the brand and add value to the already well-established team culture. In this new position, Hickey will leverage his extensive industry background and resources to manage key relationships with stakeholders, retailers and brand partners as the business grows and scales.
Hickey joins Kalahari Biltong bringing a wealth of expertise through previous positions as CEO of No Cow and The Isopure Company, both high-growth and disruptive, private equity-backed health and wellness consumer product companies. During his first three years at The Isopure Company, Hickey was instrumental in doubling the business, resulting in the company’s sale to Glanbia plc, the Ireland-based global performance nutrition and ingredients company. Prior to his CEO experiences, Hickey was the CMO of EXOS, another high-growth, private equity-backed human performance company and held various marketing leadership positions at General Mills, Coors Molson, and Abbott Nutrition. He holds his B.S. in Accounting from Villanova University and his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
“When we were looking for an additional team member to add to our family, we knew we wanted someone who was thoughtful, like-minded, and had experience that we did not have to help us navigate uncharted waters as we continue to rapidly grow – and Chris is just the right person,” said Tyler Noyes, Co-Founder of Kalahari Biltong. “We sought an equal partner who would add value and bring new skill sets to the table as we continue to make our vision a reality. With his incredible track record of growing high-profile brands, we are confident that Chris’ expertise will lead us in the right direction.”
Kalahari Biltong was founded in 2015 by best friends, Tyler Noyes, Brett Johnston, and Robinson Ginsburg, inspired by a trip to South Africa and their introduction to biltong. Since then, Kalahari Biltong has established itself as the market leader in the centuries-old South African tradition of naturally air-drying meat with simple ingredients, creating a cross between dry-aged beef, jerky, and prosciutto. Biltong is revolutionizing the meat snack category, differentiating itself from jerky in its manufacturing process and superior nutritional profile with zero sugar, 50% more protein, and only 6 Ingredients. Kalahari Biltong previously closed a seed investment from AccelFoods in October 2017 and has since experienced 500% year-over-year growth in 2018.
“The founders of Kalahari Biltong have started an incredible brand through meticulous attention to making the very best-tasting, nutritionally on-trend snack product on the market and I’m thrilled to be joining a team with such phenomenal passion and conviction,” said Chris Hickey, CEO of Kalahari Biltong. “As this will mark my third time as CEO, I’ve learned many lessons along the way and am pumped to work hand-in-hand with Tyler, Brett, and Robin to continue to build this remarkable brand, grow our team, build best-in-class partnerships, and introduce consumers to biltong.”
For more information on Kalahari Biltong and the brand’s hand-cut, flavorful meat snacks, please visit eatbiltong.com.
About Kalahari Biltong:
Being inspired in South Africa, after racing 175 miles in an Ironman and Ultramarathon within a week, three best friends were introduced to biltong. Boston, MA Kalahari Biltong produces authentic biltong in a centuries-old South African tradition of naturally air dried meat with simple ingredients and no sugar, resulting in delicious, thin, tender slices of beef that greatly surpass the texture and nutritional value of jerky. Please visit eatbiltong.com for more information.