People on the move: New CEO for The Vitamin Shoppe, new president for The Nature's Bounty Co., and more
Don Kerrigan, President, North America, The Nature’s Bounty Co
In his new role, Kerrigan will lead The Nature’s Bounty Company’s marketing, sales, and e-commerce strategies across key markets and channels in North America.
Kerrigan came into the dietary supplement space after many years in the pharmaceutical space—15 years with multiple roles at Pfizer and more recently two years at Bayer Consumer Health, where he was SVP of US Sales.
“Don is a decisive executive with deep cross-functional experience that has contributed to his record of consistently and successfully delivering results,” said Paul Sturman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Nature’s Bounty Co. in a press release.
Kerrigan said, “The Nature’s Bounty Co. has an industry leading portfolio of strong brands that are trusted and loved by consumers, and which compete in healthy, growing categories and segments. I am excited to have the opportunity to help build the future of this great company in partnership with a talented and passionate leadership team.”
Sharon M. Leite, CEO, The Vitamin Shoppe
Supplement retailer The Vitamin Shoppe announced Monday that it had appointed Sharon M. Leite as its new CEO, effective August 27.
Leite was previously the President of Godiva Chocolatier in North America since October 2017. She led the business across all channels, including stores, E-Commerce and Wholesale. She spent close to a decade at Pier 1 Imports with her last position in 2016 as Executive Vice President of Sales, Customer Experience, & Real Estate. She also held various executive leadership roles at Bath and Body Works as well as various sales and operations positions with other prominent retailers including Gap, Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Express.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are excited to have such a talented executive as our new CEO,” said Alex Smith, chairman of the retailer’s board of directors. “Sharon's broad experience and impressive track record makes her an ideal choice to lead both our turnaround and future growth."
"I want to thank the Board for this opportunity and look forward to working with the leadership team and all The Vitamin Shoppe Health Enthusiasts. I share their passion for health and wellness and for providing customers with the best shopping experience," Leite said.
Craig Rich, Executive Vice President of Sales, Biovation Labs
New natural products and supplement contract manufacturer Biovation Labs, which opened in January this year, announced Craig Rich as its new VP of sales.
In his new role, Rich will be responsible for the leadership of the sales team, as well as setting the direction for the company’s future growth.
Previously, he was VP of sales at Basic Research for eight years, working with clients from wholesale to retail and 40,000 points of distribution including Walgreens, Walmart, GNC, and many others.
“I was immediately impressed with Biovation Labs because of the transparency and the willingness of the leadership team to work together for a common goal to grow the company,” Rich said. “At Biovation Labs, as a company, we focus holistically on building quality products for our clients, and helping them with their contract manufacturing and fulfillment needs to help their business grow. We earn our client’s trust and build long-term relationships by the quality of work we produce.”
“Craig’s solid background in sales and business development coupled with his successful track record of growing businesses in the health/medical and natural products space makes him ideally suited for this position as we enter the next stage of expansion for Biovation Labs,” said Justin Bath, president of Biovation Labs.
Brian Wommack, Senior Vice President of Communications, The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
Wommack will replace industry veteran Judy Blatman (who is on a personal leave of absence) as the trade group’s new communications lead.
He has had extensive experience lobbying on Capitol Hill. Previously, Wommack was a partner at the law firm Cameron LLP, where he led the strategic communications practice, working closely with all three branches of the federal government, state governments, major global corporations, trade associations, and charitable foundations. According to the organization, Wommack helped promote and protect reputations and managed risk.
“CRN is a great organization. They are in a space where they are helping people to lead healthier lives,” Wommack told NutraIngredients-USA.
“I have worked in a number of industries where you can’t say that,” Wommack said. “For example, as a young lawyer I worked on tobacco litigation, where we were defending the people’s right to use a legal product.”
Read our full interview with Wommack HERE
