The Marzetti Company has named Mark Christenson president of its retail business, effective Oct. 26. Christenson will lead sales, marketing and innovation for Marzetti’s portfolio of retail brands and licensed products and will be responsible for developing and executing growth plans.
The Westerville, Ohio-based company also announced two additional appointments strengthening its retail organization: Rob Reinerman as group VP of brand and innovation and Rene Luichinger as chief customer officer.
“Our retail segment has tremendous brands, talented people and significant opportunities to grow,” said Dave Ciesinski, president and CEO of The Marzetti Company. “Mark is a brand builder with a track record of creating sustainable growth in highly competitive categories. With Mark, Rob and Rene in these critical leadership roles, we are building the team and capabilities we need to accelerate this business and position it for long-term growth.”
Executives’ resumés
Christenson brings more than 20 years of leadership experience, most recently as chief revenue officer of Wingstop, where he led brand strategy and customer-facing commercial activity for the U.S. business. Before Wingstop, he spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble in roles including SVP of global feminine care, VP of North America baby care and VP of global fabric care. Earlier, he worked at Boston Consulting Group and served six years as a U.S. Navy officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Reinerman joined Marzetti in July in the newly created brand and innovation role, connecting brand management and innovation under an integrated portfolio strategy. He brings more than 20 years at P&G, most recently as VP and chief commercial officer of P&G Ventures.
Luichinger was promoted to chief customer officer in September to lead the retail sales organization. She joined Marzetti in January 2025 after more than two decades at Abbott in retail sales, category management, sales strategy and marketing roles.
“Our growth strategy starts with accelerating organic top-line growth, and strengthening our retail business is an important part of delivering against that commitment,” Ciesinski said.
Marzetti’s retail brands include Marzetti dressings and dips, New York Bakery garlic breads and Sister Schubert’s dinner rolls, along with licensed products for Olive Garden, Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby’s, Subway and Texas Roadhouse. Its foodservice business supplies sauces, dressings, breads and pasta to many top U.S. restaurant chains, with 3,700 team members.
Related: Marzetti Expands New York Bakery Line With 3 New Breads