Business News
Solo Cup Company building leadership for a new marketplace
Monday 11. October 2010 - Solo Cup Company, a leading provider of single-use products used to serve food and beverages, announced the appointment of new vice presidents to six of its corporate business functions over the course the past several months. The Company has brought new leaders into the organization in critical areas in order to increase focus on customer needs and improve business performance.
Larinda Becker has been named vice president of foodservice marketing. Becker is responsible for directing the marketing function in support of commercial foodservice products including segments, channels, forecasting and product management. Prior to joining Solo, Becker served as vice president of product and sectors for Diversey Inc., a leading global provider of commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions for business, where she led regional marketing for North America. Previously, Becker was vice president of marketing and product development at Reynolds Packaging, a provider of food packaging products for foodservice organizations, food processors and supermarkets, where she was responsible for marketing and new product development.
April Darre has been named vice president of financial planning and analysis. Darre will lead a shared services organization responsible for establishing and managing improved and sustainable financial analytical capabilities. Prior to her position with Solo, Darre held several positions of increasing responsibility at Sara Lee Corp. Most recently she served as vice president of corporate development and foodservice finance where she was responsible for evaluating business opportunities as well as providing extensive senior level support to long-range planning and foodservice strategy development efforts.
Robert Grainger has joined Solo as vice president of procurement. He is responsible for corporate procurement and the sourcing and supply of resins, paper, direct and indirect materials, finished goods, and services. Prior to joining Solo, Grainger most recently served as a director of purchasing at Alcan Packaging, a leading provider of plastic packaging and glass tubing for food, pharmaceutical and personal care markets, where he was responsible for the sourcing and supply of resins, specialty films and glass materials for 40 packaging plants. Prior to that, Grainger was director of purchasing at Pechiney Plastic Packaging, a global manufacturer of
plastic packaging.
Kimberly Healy, formerly vice president of consumer marketing, has been promoted to vice president, consumer division. Healy is now responsible for managing sales, marketing, forecasting, customer service, pricing and trade management for Solos retail products. Healy began her career with Solo in 1999 as a brand manager and has since held several roles with increasing responsibility in Solos consumer marketing department. As vice president of consumer marketing, Healy was instrumental in the introduction of flagship Solo products including SoloGrips, the first ergonomically designed disposable plastic cup; Solo Squared; and Bare by Solo, the first full line of eco-forward single-use foodservice products made with recycled, recyclable, renewable or compostable materials. Prior to joining Solo, Healy held marketing positions at Fort James Corp. and Sunbeam Corp.
Karen Leeker has been appointed vice president of innovation and quality. She is responsible for Solos global innovation strategy, including the development of new materials, new products and new processes. She also is responsible for all product, material and process specifications, corporate graphics and packaging, as well as managing Solos quality function. Prior to joining Solo, Leeker spent 27 years at Procter and Gamble where she held a variety of innovation and new business development roles in the U.S. and Latin America.
Jeffrey Lombardo has been appointed to the position of vice president of foodservice sales. He is responsible for setting foodservice strategic direction and leading Solos U.S. foodservice sales organization. Prior to joining Solo, Mr. Lombardo spent 25 years in a range of management positions at H.J. Heinz Company and PepsiCo. Most recently, he served as group vice president of U.S. foodservice sales at Heinz. His more than 20-year career at PepsiCo culminated in serving as the vice president of the premier restaurant group where he was responsible for sales at 41,000 restaurants including the national chains Taco Bell, Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut and others.