ORRVILLE, OH — The J.M. Smucker Co., Hostess’ parent company, announced Judd Freitag will take the helm as senior VP and general manager of US sweet baked snacks and retail pet foods. He succeeds Dan O’Leary, who will exit the company on March 7.
“The promotion of Judd reflects our commitment to the Hostess brand and taking the necessary actions to return the Hostess brand to growth, while continuing to deliver the pet business,” said Mark Smucker, board chair, president and CEO of J.M. Smucker. “In addition, we are evolving the leadership structure of our supply chain and manufacturing organizations to ensure that we remain positioned to deliver best-in-class execution across our portfolio of brands.”
“The promotion of Judd reflects our commitment to the Hostess brand and taking the necessary actions to return the Hostess brand to growth, while continuing to deliver the pet business.” — Mark Smucker | board chair, president and CEO | The J.M. Smucker Co.
In this role, Freitag will lead the company’s growth strategy to bolster Hostess. This includes increasing distribution, supporting the portfolio’s evolution, and pushing innovation.
J.M. Smucker has also announced changes to its supply chain and manufacturing arms. Bryan Hutson will now serve as senior VP of information services and supply chain, and Randy Day will oversee manufacturing as senior VP of operations.
