JACKSON, MI — Global bakery manufacturer and ingredients leader Dawn Foods announced the appointment of Melissa Bautista as the new VP of manufacturing for North America and the promotion of Emily Gittins to VP, global corporate controller.
Previously at Utz Brands as VP of manufacturing, Bautista will be responsible for building the company’s manufacturing capabilities in North America regarding safety, cost, quality and service while also aiding Dawn in achieving its current business objectives. She will report to president of Dawn Foods North America, John Schmitz.
“Melissa brings deep manufacturing experience to this role, having worked both at the plant management level and at the leadership level overseeing multiple facilities,” Schmitz said. “Her approach to leadership and industry knowledge is a strong addition to our plant management teams across our five Dawn North America manufacturing locations.”
In addition to her role as VP of manufacturing at Utz, Bautista also served as area VP of operations and a plant manager for the company’s Algona, WA location. Prior to her time at Utz, she spent 11 years at Frito-Lay in a range of supply chain roles.
Gittins, who has worked at Dawn since 2007, will step into her new role as VP, global corporate controller in July. She will replace Jean Rauchholz, who will retire this summer. Before this promotion, Gittins served as senior director of financial reporting, accounting standards, and policies. Based at the Dawn’s Jackson, MI headquarters, she is also a member of the Dawn Women’s Leadership Development Program.
“Emily has consistently taken on new responsibilities throughout her career at Dawn and has been an integral part of the team’s efforts in enhancing our control efforts across the organization,” said Karl Brown, CFO. “I am confident that Emily will continue to strengthen our global finance team, modernize our processes, and be an incredible leader for Dawn.”