JACKSON, MI — Global ingredients and bakery manufacturers distributor Dawn Foods set forth two additions to its North America leadership team. Ahmet Hepdogan has joined the company as VP of procurement and Josh Bruketta has been promoted to VP of people. Both will serve as members of the the company’s North America leadership team and report to John Schmitz, president of Dawn Foods North America.
Hepdogan will succeed John Wolf, who is set to retire in March 2023. In his new role, Hepdogan will lead Dawn’s regional procurement team to work on strategic contact strategies and negotiations as well as identify innovative global sourcing solutions to achieve Dawn’s business goals.
“Ahmet has a successful history leading world-class procurement organizations across the food and beverage industry with a focus on building relationships and delivering strategic plans,” Schmitz said. “He is an effective leader and advocate for the digitization of procurement, which aligns with our continued transformation agenda focused on supporting our business and customers around the world.”
Prior to his time at Dawn, Hepdogan was the chief procurement officer for Ferrero International affiliate and sweet snack business Ferrara. He also held positions for strategic procurement and leadership roles at ARYZTA (Aspire Bakeries) and U.S. Foods.
Bruketta has been with Dawn since 2021 and previously served as a director within the people department. As the leader for the people organization in North America, he will conduct talent management and development, change management and driving department excellence across the region. Bruketta will carry on partnering with leaders across the business to drive the company’s people-first culture and further support Dawn’s business strategy.
“Josh has been instrumental in driving significant change in the areas of retention, recruitment and more for our commercial and distribution business,” Schmitz added. “He will continue to work closely with our global people partners to position Dawn as an employer of choice and to elevate the team member experience. I appreciate his counsel and expertise and look forward to seeing him continue to drive our organization forward.”
