SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. – Earthbound Farm, one of the nation’s leading organic food companies, continues to build its sales and marketing team with strategic promotions and new hires. 2013 aims to be a record year for the company and these staffing changes position the organization to support the anticipated growth.
Craig Hope is now Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, expanding his role to lead the marketing organization in addition to the sales organization. Hope joined Earthbound Farm in 2010 as Chief Customer Officer, leading the company’s sales organization. He has 25 years experience in consumer packaged goods sales organizations and has held roles as Customer Vice President at Kraft, Nabisco, and Distant Lands Coffee.
Nathalie Fontanilla has been promoted to Vice President of Product Innovation. She has been with Earthbound Farm since 2001, most recently serving as Director of Product Innovation. Nathalie leads the company’s product innovation initiatives both in the salad and fresh produce categories and in its new forays outside the produce department with frozen fruits and vegetables, snacks, and beverages, as well as packaging enhancements.
Samantha Cabaluna has been promoted to Vice President of Marketing, Public Relations, and
Communications. She has been with Earthbound Farm since 2003, most recently serving as Director of Communications and Marketing. She leads the company marketing and communications marketing initiatives for Brand (including packaging design), Trade, Digital, and Events; Public Relations; Social Media; and Communications. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Organic Trade Association.
Jessica Harris, Associate Trade Marketing Manager, has been promoted to Trade Marketing Manager, responsible for managing and coordinating Earthbound Farm's trade marketing programs.
To help build the brand and drive both increased consumer and trade engagement, Earthbound Farm recently added Public Relations, Social Media and Marketing Manager Andrea ‘Dre’ Birskovich to the Marketing Communications team. Dre’s background in online marketing will be put to use developing social media, blogger, and integrated marketing campaigns and promotions that that support the company’s initiatives and product strategies as Earthbound Farm continues to elevate its online presence.
Jeff Davis has joined the company as Customer Development Director, managing the company’s business with Whole Foods Market. Davis comes to the company from Nature’s Path Foods, where he was the National Sales Manager. He is based in Northern California.
Melissa Celeste, formerly of Promised Land Dairy, recently joined Earthbound Farm as Customer Development Manager for the Central Region. She is based in Dallas, Texas.
Earthbound Farm recently created the new role of Territory Customer Development Representative/Manager. This team works in stores, servicing customer needs directly and building relationships directly with customers. Three Territory Managers have been positioned in the West:
Jared Smith, who joined the Company in 2011 as the first Territory Manager, will continue to manage the North Bay Area/Sacramento territory and will also begin to expand his scope of responsibilities as Earthbound Farms continues to grow. Brittany Larkin has joined the team as the South Bay Area Territory Manager. Prior to joining Earthbound Farm, Brittany was a retail sales representative with The
Hershey Company. Andrew Scalzo was recently hired as the Territory Manager for Southern California.
Andrew spent the last year as a Client Customer Manager at Acosta.
In the East, two Territory Managers have been hired to serve Earthbound’s critical New York and New Jersey markets.. John Chere, most recently a territory salesman for Hostess Brands, will be assuming responsibilities for New Jersey. Chris Visone, formerly an area sales manager for Vita Coco, will be managing our New York market.
Founded in 1984 on a 2½-acre backyard garden, Earthbound Farm is now one of the nation’s leading organic food companies. Earthbound Farm’s nationally-lauded food safety program is unparalleled in the produce industry. The company offers more than 100 varieties of certified organic salads, fruits, and vegetables grown on 53,000 acres by more than 200 farmers. Taken together, those organic farming methods will keep more than 19 million pounds of conventional chemicals out of the soil, water, and air during 2013 alone. For more information, visit Earthbound Farm’s website at www.ebfarm.com.
Source: Earthbound Farm