People Moves: Yellowbird Foods Names Michael Woolard as CEO

Yellowbird Foods Appoints Former Koia Exec as CEO

After 13 years at the helm of modern hot sauce brand Yellowbird Foods, co-founder George Milton is stepping down as CEO. Taking over the role is Michael Woolard, the former president at Koia Foods.

“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to lead this funky hot sauce dream team. It’s a great time to join the bird; No. 1 [hot sauce brand] at Whole Foods Market, No 2. overall in natural. MULO is next,” said Woolard in a LinkedIn post.

Founded in 2012 by Milton and his partner, Erin Link, Yellowbird produces a portfolio of premium hot sauces featuring classic flavors like Habanero, Classic Jalapeño, and Serrano and small-batch flavors like Hatch Chile, Strawberry Ginger, and Plum Reaper. Its products are currently available in 17,000 doors nationwide, including major retailers like Target, Stop & Shop and Ralphs.

The company also has a strong presence in the foodservice channel, including a partnership with Denver, Colo.-based breakfast and brunch restaurant Snooze Eatery. Additionally, Yellowbird has previously launched LTOs with the likes of Taco Bell, Hat Creek Burgers and Shake Shack.

Milton called his tenure as CEO an “incredible learning journey” that helped him understand all aspects of the industry, from the inner workings of distribution networks to how retailers price their products in competition with each other. He wanted to ensure that Yellowbird had secured a strong foothold in the market and firmly established its culture and mission before bringing on a new CEO.

“Michael is the right culture fit, which is hugely important. It’s important to have someone with experience in this scaling phase; there are a lot of operational and financial considerations to make where we need strength,” Milton told Nosh.

Woolard comes to Yellowbird with over two decades of experience in executive roles, largely in finance positions across multiple industries.

At Koia, he helped lead the brand’s conversion to vertically integrated production and to achieve profitability. That expertise in self-manufacturing is part of what drew Milton to Woolard, as Yellowbird produces all of its products at its own 30,000 sq. ft. facility in San Marcos, Texas.

“A lot of brands in our industry are co-manufactured, and the company/brand itself operates as the sales and marketing arm while a different company makes the product. It’s kind of unusual for a brand of our size to be self-manufacturing, and it’s hard to find people who have experience in that,” said Milton. “It takes an insane amount of accountability and responsibility to run a company, as you’re getting credit for the good and the bad.”

With Woolard now at the helm, Milton will focus on brand building efforts and executing Yellowbird’s innovation pipeline. His biggest goal for the company in this next era of growth is to become the No. 1 hot sauce in America.

“That’s not to say we’re going to destroy these behemoth companies, but directionally, I don’t think there’s any reason that Yellowbird has to be a niche brand. We’re seeing a lot of success in the conventional channel today and we’re going to keep growing that,” said Milton.

Ashley Rogers Departs Sprinkles

Ashley Rogers is stepping away from her role as CEO of cupcake bakery Sprinkles’ CPG business to go “all in” on ShelfMade, a founder-focused community for food and beverage entrepreneurs, according to a LinkedIn post.

Founded this year, ShelfMade provides its customers with live group coaching and one-on-one consulting with industry experts, on-demand courses covering retail expansion, fundraising and scaling strategies, a network of over 200 buyers and 200 investors and done-for-you pitch decks and sales sheets.

“ShelfMade isn’t just a community, it’s a movement. It’s founders helping founders, connecting early-stage brands with the tools, resources, agencies, and teams they need to succeed…and honestly, this is just the beginning,” wrote Rogers.

SNAC Names New VP of Advocacy

Snack industry trade association SNAC International has tapped Matthew Grill as VP of Advocacy. In this new role, he will lead the association’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies.

Most recently, Grill served as senior director of congressional relations for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), where he led the congressional lobbying team for the $57 billion pork industry.

“I am most excited about helping SNAC members navigate the complex food policy landscape and, particularly, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda,” said Grill in a press release. “How SNAC members answer the policy challenges facing food and the production systems that bring our food onto grocery shelves and into our pantries will have huge implications across the economy, our health and our access to affordable food.

Flowers Foods Shares CFO Transition

Flowers Foods CFO Steve Kinsey is set to retire at the end of 2025 after 36 years with the company. The parent company of Dave’s Killer Bread and Canyon Bakehouse is currently searching for a successor.

Following his retirement, Kinsey is expected to continue to serve in an advisory role for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition.

“It has been an honor to work alongside an exceptionally talented and passionate team, helping steer the company as it has evolved through innovation, transformation and acquisition,” said Kinsey in a statement. “As I enter my next chapter, I am confident in the ability of our incredible team to continue to execute on our strategic priorities and drive shareholder value.”

Other people moves from across the industry:

• Ready-to-eat oats maker MUSH appointed Jackie Cassis-Mayer as its first chief customer officer. Cassis-Mayer comes to the brand from KIND, where she served as VP of sales strategy.
• Better-for-you granola bar brand Junkless, which recently platformed into protein, has tapped Frank Zampardi as chief commercial officer.
• Family-owned snack food business Herr Foods announced Troy Gunden as its new CEO. Gunden succeeds Ed Herr, who will transition to the role of executive chairman of the board.
• JJ Kass has joined plant-based poultry producer Daring Foods – which was recently acquired by v2food – as VP of sales. Most recently, Kass served as VP of portfolio operations and growth at Ahimsa Companies.