In a message to all employees, Greg Schlafer – President and CEO of Foremost Farms, made the following announcement:
Companies that are brilliant at the basics periodically evaluate their organizational structure to align it with their business strategy and initiatives and to operate efficiently and effectively.
Reorganizing teams allows employees to gain new experience and to learn and grow professionally. It establishes clear roles and responsibilities in an evolving company and opens paths to more empowerment and job satisfaction. It also creates more cross-functional collaboration and teamwork, contributing to a more positive and dynamic company culture.
Therefore, I’m proud to announce a reorganization at Foremost Farms that allows us to better leverage the expertise of our talented employees, streamline processes and improve outcomes. The new structure will enhance our operational effectiveness, better position us for future opportunities and enhance our services and products for our customers and members.
Effective immediately, the following teams will be in place in the departments led by Declan Roche – SVP and Chief Commercial Officer and Darin Hanson – SVP, Supply Chain & Risk Management:
Kyle Kussmaul has been promoted to Manager II, Sales Inventory & Operational Planning (SIOP) and will lead the full SIOP team, including Johnnie Hess-Jackson and Erin Unbehaun and their teams. Lora Zimmerman and Joan Schenk will continue to report to Kyle. Kyle will continue to report to Colleen Carr.
Laura Ayello has been promoted to Director, Sales Commercial and will lead the retail/industrial sales team, including John Suttner and Brooklyn McCauley. Laura will continue to report to Colleen Carr.
Katie Kolpin-Gustafson – Senior Director, Production Innovation & Technology will lead the innovation and product development team, including Matt Zimbric, Bethany Johnson and Scott Navarre.
John Hoffman – Senior Director, Supply Chain will lead the supply chain team, including Kate Taylor and Ben Smith, who has been promoted to Manager II, Logistics, and their teams. Ben leads plant-to-plant and farm-to-plant logistics and warehouse management, and Kate leads sourcing and materials.
Colleen, Katie, Brian Groenewold and Joe Miller will continue reporting to Declan; and John, Rachel Turgasen, Sammi Fleckner and Dan Belk will continue to report to Darin.
Please join me in congratulating those who have been promoted and thanking all the members of these teams for their flexibility and openness to change and the HR team for their support in the reorganization. As we continue to adapt to changing market dynamics, this strategic approach to organizational design will remain integral to our ongoing success.
In addition to these specific teams, I’d like to thank everyone in our plants and offices. You all contribute to the success of Foremost Farms as One Team, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Best,
Greg