Snack It Forward’s Sunkist Brand Snacks Expand with Addition of James Lacey as Chief Officer of Fruit and Snacks
LOS ANGELES, CA - James Lacey, Founder and Brand Builder of category leader Crunchies Natural Freeze Dried Snacks, has joined Snack It Forward as Chief Officer of Fruits & Snacks.
Lacey will be tasked with helping drive forward the growth of the Sunkist brand snacks. Lacey has been credited with creating the freeze-dried fruits category as nutritious, delicious and convenient better-for-you snacks during his nine years at the helm of Crunchies.
“We’re thrilled to have Jim on board to lead the incredible growth we are seeing for our Sunkist Fruit 2.0 (freeze dried fruits) and Sunkist Blends (trail mix redefined) product lines, and to drive new innovation,” said Nick Desai, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of Snack It Forward. “As President and CEO, he built Crunchies into the number-one category leader and his 30 years of cross-functional experience, brand building, and multichannel relationships perfectly sets the stage for our Sunkist Branded premium snacks to take the leadership position in the freeze dried, trail mix, and related healthy snack segments.”
Also joining Snack It Forward is David Alvarez and Beryl Jacobson. Alvarez is joining Snack it Forward as Vice President of Sales, and has 30 years of industry experience in driving sales growth. He worked most recently at Crunchies, where he was responsible for Major Client Accounts ranging from big box, grocery, and natural food chains to drug and convenience stores. In addition, Alvarez’s background includes senior positions at Nestle Foods, Richardson Brands, Mission Foods, and Acosta Sales and Marketing. Jacobson, joining the Snack it Forward team as Creative and Digital Marketing Director, is an established expert in the field of digital marketing and social media, according to a press release.
“This is a leap forward for us and we are so pleased to be adding all of this incredible talent and expertise to the team,” said Nick Desai.
“Sunkist, a long-term and respected partner of Snack it Forward, is among the most recognized brand names in the U.S. and the world, and Sunkist fruit sets the quality and innovation standard. Delivering on that brand promise in delicious freeze-dried fruit and other premium better-for-you snacks is an opportunity I relish,” commented Lacey. “Together, as part of the Snack It Forward team and with my longtime colleague, channel distribution pro Dave Alvarez, we are going to grow the brand and the category with the most nutritious and premium quality ingredients, most deliciously satisfying flavors, and most consumer-friendly packaging on the market today – all part of our commitment to helping consumers embrace better-for-you snacking habits for life.”
In addition to announcing the new members of the team, Desai has also noted his excitement for the company’s showcase at Expo West featuring the full line of Freeze Dried fruit – Sunkist Fruit 2.0. The company says it is seeing explosive growth and resounding interest in this new product line in particular because it was featured at the Oscars gift suites and will be part of the MTV Music Awards.
