Kenneth C. “Casey” Keller is retiring as president and CEO of B&G Foods Inc. effective Aug. 7, after five years leading the Parsippany, New Jersey-based company. He also is leaving the board.
The company said its board has selected a successor who has accepted the offer, but has not disclosed the person’s identity at his request. The incoming CEO currently holds a senior leadership post at another public company, and B&G said it expects to announce the appointment and further transition details shortly, in coordination with the reporting requirements of his current employer.
B&G Foods said the retirement was mutually agreed and that Keller will continue assisting with the leadership transition on an ongoing basis.
Departure follows portfolio reshaping
Keller’s exit comes as B&G Foods works through a significant restructuring of its brand lineup. The company completed the divestiture of its Green Giant U.S. frozen business on March 2 and closed on the College Inn and Kitchen Basics broth brands on March 19, having won them for $110 million out of Del Monte Foods’ Chapter 11 proceedings. B&G also sold its Le Sueur brand to McCall Farms in 2025 and its Green Giant shelf-stable line to Seneca Foods in 2023.
First-quarter net sales totaled $408.9 million, down 3.9 percent from a year earlier, while base business net sales rose 2.8 percent to $365.1 million. The company posted a net loss of $32.5 million, or 41 cents per diluted share, and adjusted EBITDA of $57.6 million, down 2.5 percent. Full-year guidance was revised to net sales of $1.735 billion to $1.775 billion.
“It has been an honor to serve as the chief executive officer of B&G Foods,” Keller said. “I am proud of our accomplishments as we have navigated through difficult trends in the consumer packaged foods industry. Importantly, we have begun to reshape our portfolio through our recent divestiture and acquisition activity, and I believe the dedicated and resilient team at B&G Foods will guide the company towards a bright future.”
Board Chair Stephen C. Sherrill credited Keller with beginning the work of sharpening and simplifying the portfolio to improve margins and cash flow.
“Casey helped guide B&G Foods through challenging times for our industry, including post-COVID supply chain disruption, price inflation and unprecedented tariffs,” Sherrill said.
B&G Foods manufactures, sells and distributes branded shelf-stable and frozen foods in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, with a portfolio of more than 50 brands including B&M, Bear Creek, College Inn, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Kitchen Basics, Las Palmas, Mama Mary’s, Maple Grove Farms, New York Style, Ortega, Polaner, Spice Islands and Victoria. The company trades on the NYSE under BGS.