PARAMUS, N.J., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Balance, Inc. , marketer of heart healthier food products under the Smart Balance®, Earth Balance® and Bestlife(TM) brands, has consolidated its Smart Balance® brand sales and marketing teams to optimize organizational effectiveness and to implement new marketing initiatives to drive sales growth.
Terry Schulke has been named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Operations. He will oversee the commercial team combining sales and marketing for Smart Balance® brand products. Schulke joined Smart Balance in 2007 in his former position of Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. He is a consumer packaged goods and food industry veteran who previously held senior management positions with Schick-Wilkinson Sword and PEPSICO's Tropicana Products division. Schulke will report to Smart Balance Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hughes in his new role.
"Terry has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills and a passion for our business during his tenure and has worked with me to assemble a team that I am confident will improve our competitive position in the years ahead," said Hughes. "Since 2007, we have made major investments in the Smart Balance® brand. As we complete this phase of our business strategy, it's essential that we leverage those investments to drive growth in net sales and cash operating income."
Under Schulke's leadership are Ken Messick, who has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Business Development and John Becker, who joins the Company as Vice President and General Manager, Smart Balance® Marketing.
Messick came to Smart Balance in 2008 and has served as Vice President Business Development where he has been instrumental in building customer partnerships and category management capabilities. Prior to Smart Balance, he was Vice President North American Sales for Schick-Wilkinson Sword.
Becker previously served as Vice President of Marketing for Healthy Food Holdings and the Breyers® Yogurt Company. He has more than 15 years of consumer packaged goods marketing experience, including positions with Nestle and General Mills, and will bring strong leadership skills to the Smart Balance team in the areas of strategic planning, innovation, brand portfolio management, marketing management and research.
About Smart Balance, Inc.
Smart Balance, Inc. is committed to providing superior tasting heart healthier alternatives in every category it enters by avoiding trans fats naturally, balancing fats and/or reducing saturated fats, total fat and cholesterol. The company markets the Smart Balance® line of products, which include Smart Balance® Buttery Spreads, Milk, Butter Blend Sticks, Sour Cream, Peanut Butter, Microwave Popcorn, Cooking Oil, Mayonnaise, Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Cheese, and also markets natural food products under the Earth Balance® brand and healthier lifestyle products under the Bestlife(TM) brand.
For more information about Smart Balance, Inc., Smart Balance® products and the Smart Balance(TM) Food Plan, please visit http://www.smartbalance.com/.
Smart Balance, Inc.
CONTACT: Brent Burkhardt, Media Contact, Executive Vice President Public
Relations, TBC, Inc., bburkhardt@tbc.us, +1-410-986-1303, or John Mintz,
Investor Contact, Vice President Finance & Investor Relations, Smart Balance,
Inc., investor@smartbalance.com, +1-201-568-9300
Web Site: http://www.smartbalance.com/
