Sovos Brands Names Wendy Behr As Chief R&D Officer
Former WhiteWave and Keurig R&D Leader joins fast growing Sovos Brands
BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sovos Brands ("Sovos") announced that Wendy Behr has joined the company as Chief Research & Development (R&D) Officer. Ms. Behr brings 30 years of experience in lead research and development roles at organizations including Keurig Dr Pepper, WhiteWave and Diageo. Her experience spans across product and package R&D, corporate sustainability, quality & food safety, and global supply; and across numerous food and beverage categories and temperature states.
As Chief R&D Officer, Ms. Behr will deliver an innovation agenda across seven food categories, ensure Sovos' current products deliver against consumer and customer expectations, and drive the company's acquisitive and organic growth.
The brands currently in the Sovos portfolio include Rao's Homemade, noosa yoghurt, and Michael Angelo's frozen entrees. The company also recently announced an agreement to acquire Birch Benders, which is expected to close by the end of October. Since its inception, Sovos has launched a number of new products, including Rao's soups and frozen entrées, noosa smoothies, and noosa Greek yoghurt. The Chief R&D Officer role is a new position within Sovos developed to lead R&D efforts as part of the company's continued growth agenda.
"With Wendy's leadership and deep technical expertise, we can further refine our innovation model and continue our successful track record of extending our brands to new categories and usage occasions," said Todd Lachman, President and CEO of Sovos Brands. "Wendy's knowledge and experience in the industry will be key in supporting our growing portfolio of one-of-a-kind brands. I'm very excited to welcome Wendy to the Sovos executive team."
"I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the talented team at Sovos Brands," said Ms. Behr. "I look forward to driving value across our portfolio and continuing to create delicious products that consumers love."
Ms. Behr is based in Louisville, CO and has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and a Master of Science in Nutrition Science and Policy, both from Tufts University.
About Sovos Brands
Sovos Brands is a food company with a mission to acquire, build and grow a portfolio of one-of-a-kind brands that bring today's consumers delicious food for joyful living. Sovos Brands invests in brands that have exciting growth potential, combining industry expertise with fresh thinking to bring its products into more homes across America.
The brands in its portfolio include Rao's, a line of premium pasta sauces, soups, frozen entrées and pasta; noosa, a producer of thick, velvety whole milk yoghurt; and Michael Angelo's, a leading producer of authentic frozen Italian entrées.
Sovos Brands recently entered an agreement to acquire the business of Birch Benders, LLC ("Birch Benders"), a fast-growing producer of delicious, better-for-you pancake and waffle mixes, toaster waffles, and pancake and baking cups. Birch Benders prides itself in providing products that taste delicious and are for all to enjoy, including organic, plant-based, non-GMO, protein, paleo, and keto alternatives. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of October.
SOVOS™, RAO'S®, RAO'S HOMEMADE®, NOOSA® and MICHAEL ANGELO'S® are trademarks of Sovos Brands.
Find out more about Sovos Brands at www.sovosbrands.com, Rao's Homemade at www.raos.com, noosa at www.noosayoghurt.com, and Michael Angelo's at www.michaelangelos.com.
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Eilyn Segura
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Phone: 212.388.7679
SOURCE Sovos Brands
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