People on the Move: Bazooka Candy Brands, CDA, Core-Mark & PIM Brands
NATIONAL REPORT — Retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in the convenience store industry are only as good as their management teams and employees. In this special roundup, Convenience Store News runs down the most recent executive changes at the top in the industry.
[Read last month's installment of People on the Move]
Bazooka Candy Brands
Jocelyn Stahl joined Bazooka Candy Brands as the company's first senior vice president, chief of global operations.
Stahl is responsible for overseeing Bazooka's global manufacturing, supply chain, quality assurance, and research and development operations. Her appointment comes as part of the brand's strategic growth initiative following its recent acquisition by funds advised by Apax Partners.
Stahl brings more than 25 years of experience to her new role, having led teams of more than 300 people in her previous positions. She most recently served as the vice president of supply chain for the salty snacks division at The Hershey Co.
Barry Callebaut Group
Chocolate and cocoa products manufacturer Barry Callebaut Group appointed Natasha Chen as president, North America, succeeding Ben De Schryver who decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.
In her new role, Chen will oversee Barry Callebaut's North American business across the United States, Mexico and Canada. She reports directly to CEO Peter Feld and joins the company's extended leadership team.
Chen brings with her extensive U.S. and international leadership experience in both B2B and B2C environments. Most recently, she led the global healthcare division at Ecolab, a B2B sustainability specialist in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions. Prior to that, she spent more than two decades at consumer goods company Colgate-Palmolive, where she occupied various business management and marketing roles across three regions and different geographies.
"We are delighted to welcome Natasha to Barry Callebaut," said Feld. "She is a skilled international leader with a deep understanding of the North American market, digitalization and sustainability, which will be instrumental for us to create a more impactful service for our North American customers."
Convenience Distribution Association
The Convenience Distribution Association (CDA) chose Jodi Buckner to serve as its 2025 chair during the organization's annual membership meeting at the CDA's Convenience Distribution Business Exchange.
"CDA is in great hands with Jodi’s financial expertise and leadership experience," said 2024 CDA Chair Bill Stein of Core-Mark International.
Buckner joined Lyons Specialty Co. LLC, based in Port Allen, La., in 2003 as chief financial officer after holding similar positions within the industry. At Lyons, she serves as an integrator — the person responsible for creating order out of the "big picture," setting business priorities, solving conflicts and removing obstacles to help the company run smoothly.
Buckner has been an active participant in CDA for years. A member of the association's board of directors since 2019, she joined the executive committee in 2022 and has served on various specialized subcommittees.
Core-Mark International
Core-Mark International, a Performance Food Group (PFG) company, promoted Bill Allshouse from senior vice president and chief financial officer to chief operating officer. The company also promoted Uzo Orabile, who will be succeeding Allshouse in his previous roles.
"Core-Mark is incredibly fortunate to have such a pool of talented employees, whose dedication and skills make internal promotions a seamless process," said Chris Hobson, Core-Mark president and CEO. "By nurturing our in-house talent, we are able to ensure these key positions are filled with individuals who deeply understand our values and culture and will help position our organization for furthered success."
Before joining Core-Mark, Allshouse served as the chief financial officer at Vistar, a division of PFG, for four years. He also led the enterprise risk management function, capital planning efforts and participated in due diligence and integration for several acquisitions. He played a crucial role in Core-Mark's integration into PFG and in establishing an aligned convenience finance team.
Orabile joined Core-Mark in 2022 and previously held the position of vice president, corporate controller. He has extensive experience across various industries and with well-known companies such as Walmart, Solera and Kimberly-Clark. Since joining Core-Mark, he has helped improve the shared services teams, divisional finance and overall controls around accounting, the company stated.
Electrolux Professional Group Americas
Electrolux Professional Group Americas announced two management shifts.
First, Giacomo Paccione rejoined the foodservice equipment manufacturer as director of new business development. He is responsible for leading new business strategy and execution plans with an emphasis on evaluating, creating and prioritizing opportunities within the education, healthcare and consultant services segments.
"I am happy to rejoin the Electrolux Professional Group family," said Paccione. "I look forward to contributing toward their growth here in the Americas market through innovation and sustainability."
Paccione most recently served as director of trade marketing at Carpigiani. He previously worked for Electrolux as a global product manager based in Pardenone, Italy, before transferring to North America as a regional category manager.
Additionally, Dave Herring, president of business area food, Americas, has expressed his wish to retire. Herring has been with Electrolux since the acquisition of Unified Brands in 2021.
A recruitment process to find his successor has been initiated. Herring plans to stay until such a successor has been found.
The Hershey Co.
Michael Del Pozzo joined The Hershey Co. as president, U.S. confection, where he will lead the company's next phase of U.S. growth for a portfolio of well-known brands including Hershey's, Reese's and Jolly Rancher.
Del Pozzo succeeds Charles Raup, who is retiring from Hershey after 15 years to pursue other executive opportunities.
Del Pozzo previously spent 23 years in various leadership roles at PepsiCo. As president and general manager of Gatorade, he oversaw a $10 billion business, transforming the traditional sports drinks company into a portfolio of sports and fitness brands. Prior to Gatorade, he led the sales and commercial functions for Frito Lay North America as chief customer officer.
Del Pozzo joins Hershey's executive committee and work closely with its other two business unit leaders, Kristen Riggs, president, salty snacks, and Rohit Grover, president, international, to advance Hershey's strategic ambitions and meet the needs of consumers and customers.
Mars Global
KIND Snacks, a Mars Global brand, appointed Daniel Calderoni as CEO of KIND North America. He reports to Blas Maquivar, global president of health and wellness at Mars Snacking.
"We're extremely pleased to welcome Daniel to KIND and the Mars Health & Wellness Leadership Team," said Maquivar. "Daniel is highly regarded as a purpose and people-first leader, and we are excited that he brings a tremendous track record of growth to the KIND business."
As CEO, Calderoni will lead KIND North America's efforts to continue advancing the brand's mission of crafting snacks and building a healthier world, according to the company.
Calderoni brings more than 20 years of global experience leading consumer brands to KIND. Most recently, he served as general manager for Mars Pet Nutrition in Canada, where he managed a portfolio of brands such as Pedigree And Iams. Prior to joining Mars, Calderoni held various roles in marketing at Unilever across Brazil, South Africa and China.
NexChapter Inc.
Jeff Baskin, former chief revenue officer at Upshop and Radius Networks, has joined c-store advisory firm NexChapter. He will work closely with both retailers and technology providers to enhance omnichannel experiences and maximize returns on technology investments.
[Read more: Retail Industry Veteran Tackles Digital Evolution With New Advisory Firm]
"Omnichannel is no longer just a strategy — it's a consumer expectation," Baskin said. "Retailers who embrace it see their omnichannel shoppers spend two to four times more than in-store-only customers. This makes investments in technologies like e-commerce, order management, fulfillment and inventory management critical to long-term growth. I'm excited to bring my experience to NexChapter and help retailers navigate this digital transformation."
Baskin brings with him more than 25 years of expertise in retail technology, having driven partnerships with retailers such as Kroger, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee and Circle K.
PIM Brands Inc.
PIM Brands Inc. expanded its executive leadership team, appointing Jason Levine as chief marketing officer, Fred Rodriguez as chief revenue officer and Jason Tuber as the new senior vice president, government affairs.
Levine has a wealth of experience with some of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies, including nearly two decades at Mondelēz International leading global marketing for brands such as Oreo. He most recently served as chief marketing officer for Whisps Baked Snacks.
Rodriguez previously held senior roles at industry giants including Mondelēz International, The Kraft Heinz Co. and Godiva Chocolatier. In his new role, he oversees all trade channels in North America, including PIM's Canadian business, and will focus on expanding the company's product distribution throughout the Americas.
Tuber brings with him nearly 20 years of experience working in the U.S. Senate, including his most recent role as chief of staff to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). Tuber will lead PIM's Government Affairs, Public Policy and Political Action Committee from its Washington, D.C., offices.
Sabert Corp.
Sabert Corp. welcomed back Richa Desai as its new chief sustainability and strategy officer. Desai reports directly to Sabert CEO Paul McCann and will serve as an active member of the company's global and North American leadership teams, leading the company's sustainability efforts and helping to shape Sabert's strategic direction.
Desai previously worked at Sabert from 2019 to 2021, where she was instrumental in establishing and building Earthtelligent, the company's initial sustainability framework. During her tenure, she spearheaded several initiatives, including the production of Sabert's first annual "Sustainability Report" and the launch of the Zero Waste to Landfill program.
"We are thrilled to welcome Richa back to the Sabert family," said McCann. "Her vast experience, passion for sustainability, and forward-thinking approach perfectly complement our commitment to being our customers' trusted sustainable food packaging solutions provider."
Before rejoining Sabert, Desai served as vice president of sustainability at Graham Packaging, where she made significant strides in advancing sustainability efforts, the company said.