ELGIN, IL — The Middleby Corp. appointed Ed Garden and Julie Bowerman to its board of directors.
“We are pleased to welcome Julie and Ed to Middleby’s Board,” said Tim FitzGerald, CEO of Middleby. “We are confident they will be valuable additions to our boardroom with unique expertise and insights as we advance the execution of Middleby’s long-term strategy and maximize shareholder value.”
About the new board members
Bowerman has more than 25 years of success as a public company director in the food and beverage industry. She currently serves as CMO of Kellanova and previously served as CMO and e-commerce officer of Kellogg before the company split the business in 2023. She also previously worked at Hain Celestial Group and The Coca-Cola Co.
“The board additions reflect Middleby’s long-standing commitment to best-in-class governance practices and active, constructive shareholder engagement,” said Gordon O’Brien, board chair for Middleby. “The appointment of Julie follows a comprehensive and ongoing review of a strong slate of candidates, supported by external advisors, all as part of our refreshment process. As Middleby moves into its next chapter, we are confident that Julie and Ed will strengthen our board’s depth of expertise with their fresh perspectives as we drive value for our shareholders.”
Garden serves as a founding partner of Garden Investments and a director at General Electric Co. He previously served as chief investment officer and founding partner of Trian Partners. In addition to his public company board experience, Garden has extensive financial and investment expertise.
“It is a privilege to join Middleby’s board at this pivotal time for the company as it executes its value-enhancing spin-off transaction, creating two standalone, independent companies that will each be able to pursue their own growth strategies with renewed focus and vigor,” Garden said. “Middleby is well-positioned at the forefront of the industry, with positive momentum and a clear strategy to optimize its portfolio and drive future growth and shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with Tim and the rest of the board and management team to support the strategic and operational initiatives underway and create long-term value for shareholders.”
Middleby’s board growth
With the addition of Bowerman and Garden, Middleby’s board of directors has been expanded to 11 members, 10 of which are independent. The pair will stand for election at Middleby’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
“I look forward to partnering with Julie and Ed on the path ahead to continue unlocking Middleby’s value potential as we optimize our portfolio and complete our spin-off transaction to best position Middleby Food Processing and Middleby RemainCo for success and industry leadership, FitzGerald continued.
John Miller, chair and CEO of Equal Opportunity Publications and long-standing director, is set to retire and does not plan to stand for reelection.
“On behalf of the entire board, we would like thank John for his invaluable contributions to Middleby over his many years on our board,” O’Brien said. “He has been instrumental in the success of the company over the past several decades and from its public inception. John has contributed greatly to the growth of the company from its small beginnings into the global foodservice leader it is today. We wish him all the best in retirement.”
