Tyler Ricks Named CEO at Caulipower
After announcing his departure from Super Coffee last week, Tyler Ricks is taking the reins at Caulipower as its new CEO.
Ricks, a member of Caulipower’s board of directors since 2022, replaces departing CEO Marc Seguin, who helmed the company over the past two years, succeeding founder Gail Becker in the role.
Ricks’ appointment comes as Caulipower is entering a new growth phase. The frozen food company, which generated $120 million in retail sales over the past year, recently expanded its portfolio of gluten-free pizzas, chicken tenders and bites, pastas, meals and more, sold at 25,000 stores nationwide.
“I’m not a disruptive founder; I’m the guy who can figure out how to really partner with the disruptive founder and help unlock their potential to really continue to impact the business,” Ricks said in an interview with Nosh on Tuesday.
Ricks has invested in more than 40 businesses and sits on more than a dozen boards. He previously held leadership positions at Peet’s Coffee and Bear Naked Granola, among other brands, and joined Super Coffee as an investor and board member in 2018. He became president of the beverage brand in March 2022 and was elevated to CEO later that year.
During his tenure, he brought the business – what he described as “a high-growth, highly unprofitable company” – to solid financial footing. He remains an investor and advisor to the company.
“My biggest concern was making sure that we could get Super Coffee to the place it needed to be to make this transition,” Ricks told Nosh, adding, “I wouldn’t have been able to say that six months ago, where I would have felt comfortable walking away.”
Becker added, “I’ve actually had my eye on Tyler for quite some time. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, timing is everything in business.”
In October, Caulipower unveiled nine new items, including frozen pinsa-style pizzas and baked pizza bites featuring a cauliflower crust, marking its largest-ever “innovation announcement.” Ricks intends to draw on decades of brand management and operational experience to support these launches while providing a “fresh lens” to new product development opportunities.
“It’s really about finding those best practices, those systems, those tools, those frameworks, those processes … just enough of that stuff to help keep the wheels on the bus when you accelerate growth,” he said.
Seguin, who previously held sales and marketing leadership roles at GT’s Living Foods, popchips and Paramount Farms, will step down following a transitional period. Becker said she plans to remain involved in all aspects of the business, partnering with Ricks and the team on innovation, brand, consumer touchpoints and sales to drive continued growth of her eight-year old company.
“I’m really proud that I created and built the company to over $100 million,” she said. “I don’t have anything left to prove.”
