Ventura Foods LLC promoted John Buckles to chief operating officer, a new position at the Brea-based maker of branded butter, margarine, mayonnaise, dressings and dips.
Buckles had been executive vice president of sales and marketing and has worked at Ventura since 2011.
He was previously a vice president with both Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. and Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc., serving national and quick-service restaurant accounts, and a vice president over natural and frozen foods with Kellogg Co. in Battle Creek, Mich.
Ventura President and Chief Executive Chris Furman said Buckles will help provide increased “focus, alignment and collaboration at every level” of the company.
Ventura products are sold in 60 countries and include Marie’s brand dressings, Dean’s brand dips, and Gold ’n Soft brand spreads.
The company is a privately held joint-venture between CHS Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative in Minnesota, and Mistui & Co., a Japan-based conglomerate, and has an estimated $2.5 billion in revenue. It ranked No. 3 on the Business Journal’s list of OC food and beverage suppliers.
—Paul Hughes
