People Moves: Keely Golden Heads To Haven’s Kitchen; McCormick Promotes Brendan Foley

Swapping out breakfast mixes for fresh sauces, Keely Golden, former Director of Product Development at Kodiak, announced she has joined Haven’s Kitchen as Head of Operations in a LinkedIn post this week.

In her new role, Golden will oversee the sauce maker’s margins, supply chain and innovation pipeline, according to a post by Haven’s founder Alison Cayne.

“The whole Haven’s Kitchen team is so excited to work with [Keely], learn from [her] and get to know [her],” Cayne said in the post.

“I am excited to join a team so passionate about helping people find joy and confidence in the kitchen,” Golden added in a separate announcement.

Haven’s Kitchen currently offers an 8-SKU line of vegan-friendly sauces, dressings and marinades sold in squeeze packs and made with non-GMO, cold pressed ingredients. The sauces are available in Herby Chimichurri, Gingery Miso, Golden Turmeric Tahini, Edamame Green Goddess, Zippy Chili Harissa, Red Pepper Romesco, Tangy BBQ and Coconut Cashew varieties.

In addition to the new operations hire, Haven’s Kitchen also welcomed Ashly Brook Siandre, a part time freelancer, as the brand’s full time Content Director.

“When we met Ashly Brook Siandre she was adamant that she would never work for a company… then she met our team,” Cayne said via another LinkedIn post. “What started with the occasional Haven’s Kitchen office pop-in to get social media content for a freelance gig evolved into a full-time marketing role. 25k TikTok followers, a few viral reels, and a lot of laughs later, we’re beyond happy to officially welcome her to the team for the long haul. Never say never!”

Content production has been a key part of the brand’s marketing strategy, with almost 40,000 followers on instagram and 207,000 followers on Pinterest. Cayne, herself a published cookbook author even before the brand started, previously ran a cooking school and continues to host a podcast, In the Sauce, on the Heritage Radio Network.

The team expansion comes on the heels of a packaging fresh aimed at driving more traffic to its website. Late last year Haven’s Kitchen rolled out a new QR-coded pouch to direct consumers to sauce-specific recipes and shopping lists with ingredients to pair with the product.

Brendan Foley Named President and COO of McCormick & Company

McCormick & Company announced it has promoted Brendan Foley to the newly created role of COO and president of the global ingredient company effective June 1. In his new role, Foley will oversee all of McCormick’s business units and global supply chain and will continue to report to the company’s chairman and CEO, Lawrence Kurzius.

Foley has held a variety of leadership roles during his eight years with the company, beginning as president of the U.S. Consumer Products Division and most recently serving as president Global Consumer, Americas, and Asia. His new position will bring McCormick’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regions under his supervision.

In addition to working on the commercial side of the spice maker’s growth, Foley is also a member of its Management Committee and has played a significant role in developing its Multiple Management Board leadership development program while also driving its Digital Acceleration, Sustainability, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives forward, the company said in a release.

Prior to joining McCormick, Foley spent over a decade at Kraft Heinz and has also held positions at both General Mills and Ketchum Advertising.

Lucy Brady Joins Conagra As President Of Grocery & Snacks

Former McDonald’s executive Lucy Brady will head up Conagra’s ‘Grocery & Snacks’ segment, beginning in mid-June, where she will oversee the growth of brands including Slim Jim, Duncan Hines, and Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP.

Brady has served as chief digital customer engagement officer and SVP of corporate strategy, business development and Innovation at the McDonald’s Corporation for the past six years. Prior to joining the fast food giant, Brady spent nearly two decades at Boston Consulting Group advising consumer-facing companies on growth, innovation and transformation.

“Lucy has a tremendous background and proven leadership skills that will be critical as we continue to grow our successful Grocery & Snacks business,” said Tom McGough, EVP and co-COO, in a press release. “We’re excited to have Lucy join Conagra and build on the momentum we have created for our iconic and emerging brands.”

According to the food company’s most recent quarterly earnings report, snacks are currently driving net sales, contributing to 11% growth in Q3. Conagra said it will continue accelerating the segment’s growth, specifically with new plant-based product innovations.

Sarah Lowery Joins Om Mushroom Superfood As VP of Marketing

Natural food veteran Sarah Lowery has joined functional nutrition brand Om Mushroom Superfoods as VP of marketing. Lowery, who spent the past five years in leadership roles for Perfect Snacks Marketing and Innovation team, brings over two decades of CPG experience to her new role.

Prior to joining Perfect Snacks, Lowery gained extensive marketing experience during a 12-year long stint at Kashi, advancing from a marketing assistant role to senior brand manager. Lowery led initiatives across the company’s innovation and integrated media strategies including heading up the development and launch of four new cereals and overseeing the brand’s media relations, budget and partnerships including an on-air integration with The Oprah Winfrey Show.