Pretzels Inc. has appointed food industry veteran Greg Pearson CEO, replacing Chip Mann.
Pearson has more than 18 years of professional experience in the food industry. Most recently, he served as head of marketing and prior to that was the VP/GM of private brands at Chewy.com. Before Chewy, Pearson served as the VP/GM of the Pasta Business Unit of Conagra Foods/Treehouse Foods.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to join this well-respected company that is fully committed to the success of its customers,” Pearson said. “I am excited to accelerate the existing growth trajectory by continuing to invest in our customers’ success with industry-leading products, capabilities, quality and service. I look forward to working with Chip, the board and our wonderful employees to build on the strong foundation formed by the Mann and Huggins families.”
Founded in 1978, Pretzels Inc. is a manufacturer of pretzels and extruded snack products. Based in Bluffton, Indiana, with an additional facility in Plymouth, Indiana, the company manufactures and distributes traditional, peanut butter filled, flavored, seasonal and gluten-free pretzels, as well as extruded snack products, to a customer base that includes grocers and national brands.
“We are delighted to welcome Greg to the Pretzels team. Greg is a highly talented executive who has an impressive history of leadership roles within both private and nationally branded food companies,” Pretzels board member Robert Strauss said. “His demonstrated track record of driving significant value creation across both sales and operations is a great fit for Pretzels, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise as we execute on numerous growth initiatives.”
Mann will continue to serve as EVP of sales and as a member of the company’s board.
“This is an exciting time for Pretzels, and I believe that Greg is the right person to lead this great company into the future,” he said. “The company’s strong reputation for providing the highest levels of quality and customer service, combined with its leading product innovation and commitment to food safety, have positioned Pretzels for rapid growth. I look forward to working with Greg and feel we’ve built an exceptional team to pursue exciting and transformational growth initiatives.”
Prior to joining Treehouse Foods, Pearson spent 12 years at General Mills. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated with distinction. He also earned a BA, magna cum laude, from Carleton College in Minnesota.
