As demand for its Krusteaz and other baking and breakfast brands continues to rise, Continental Mills has named Keith Neumann as chief growth officer, with responsibility for sales, marketing and R&D. He will report to Continental Mills President and CEO Andy Heily.
Neumann brings a strong track record of contributing to growth at some of the most successful and innovative food and beverage companies, including PepsiCo, Beam Suntory and Clif Bar & Co. He was also president and chief operating officer at Tosi Snacks, an organic, start-up snack food company, prior to joining Continental Mills.
“Keith has been a successful, entrepreneurial leader, driving innovation and growth for both legacy brands and emerging businesses,” said Heily. “He brings a deep understanding of our product mix, categories and channels, and the time is right for a dedicated growth officer with Keith’s executive-level experience to join our leadership team.”
Neumann will be based at Continental Mills’ headquarters, just outside of Seattle, with a team that includes Steve Giuditta, VP of CPG sales; Greg Sevener, VP of food service sales; Steve Donley, VP of CPG marketing; and John Bricknell, VP of R&D.
“This is an extraordinary time to join Continental Mills. The company has significant momentum with increased demand for our Krusteaz breakfast and baking products and in the snack category with our WildRoots brand,” said Neumann. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to build on that success, working with Andy and the talented team across Continental Mills to accelerate the company’s growth by continuing to deliver for our retail and food service customers and by adding value to our consumers’ lives.”
Neumann spent more than a decade marketing breakfast products for PepsiCo’s Quaker Foods Division and was more recently general manager and SVP of marketing at Clif Bar & Co., where he helped drive profitable growth through innovation, brand-building and international expansion. Neumann also previously led the bourbon portfolio at Beam Suntory and was VP of marketing for Applegate Farms.
Neumann is a graduate of The University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Northwestern University.
