BALTIMORE, MD - In an industry growing by leaps and bounds across the retail and foodservice landscape, Tessemae’s—producer of all-natural dressings, marinades, and spreads—is matching that growth by evolving the strength of its team and its impact. As we kick off the second half of 2017, Tessemae’s is introducing new members to its team and bringing more value to both customers and consumers.

One of the employees new to the fold this year is Kellen Kubo, who joins Tessemae’s Fresh Division as the Fresh Food Strategic Planning Manager.

“I am very excited to be with Tessemae’s. Everyone at this company is very innovative and fun to work with,” Kellen shares, as he reflects on the operation. “I chose to come to Tessemae’s for the challenge of helping a new produce company make its mark on such a great industry.”

Kellen brings 18 years of produce experience to his new position, including roles as a buyer, broker, and an inspector, just to name a few. Most recently, Kellen spent four years working for Kroger WESCO as a Commodity Produce Buyer of wet vegetables and citrus.

In addition, Tessemae’s is welcoming Mike Shields as the new Sr. Director of Customer Marketing. Mike brings a wealth of experience to his new role including eight years with Unilever and 16 years with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company. In both companies, he successfully held Sales Leadership positions including Director and Team Leader where he was responsible for various classes of trade. Most recently, Mike transitioned to Heartland Food Products Company as a Senior Director where he led its Food Service Division in North America.

“Mike’s 24 years of diverse experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry have prepared him well for his role with Tessemae’s,” Brian Vetter, COO, shares with me. “He will likely assist across many areas of our business, with his primary focus on helping to create route-to-market strategies across all class of trades that match our company’s vision of being the most innovative, inspiring, and trusted brand in fresh produce. Additionally, he will work closely with all his functional partners to develop and launch Tessemae’s innovation pipeline of products.”

With an eye on strategic growth and a continued upward trajectory, Tessemae’s is also welcoming Shawn McLaughlin to them team, who is taking on the role of Chief Growth Officer.

“Shawn is responsible for working closely with all functional areas to develop Tessemae’s business plan priorities, demand generation plans, and innovation pipeline,” Brian says. “As Chief Growth Officer, Shawn also brings a host of insights to his new role, joining Tessemae’s from Compass Marketing where he was the Executive Vice President of Sales and was responsible for leading its four strategic business divisions.”

Prior to Compass, Shawn held several leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, including National Sales Director over the McNeil Nutritionals business, Director of OTC Sales Strategy and Team Leader over Johnson and Johnson’s Walmart business. Shawn graduated from the University of Kentucky where he graduated with a B.A. in Marketing.

Congratulations to Kellen, Mike, and Shawn on joining the Tessemae’s team and the exciting role ahead.

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