Ajinomoto Foods North America, an Ontario, California-headquartered specialty frozen food manufacturer, has announced two executive appointments to its foodservice division. Bill Flack (pictured above at left) joins the team as senior vice president in charge of foodservice, and Ed Shabaz (seen at right) has been named director of C-store sales.
The company’s move comes as foodservice operators in the United States look to meet growing demand for global flavors, innovation and high-quality ready-to-prepare foods. From broadline distribution and national accounts to the booming convenience channel, Ajinomoto is doubling down on leadership to unlock new growth opportunities.
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Flack brings decades of leadership experience across foodservice, convenience stores, CPG and distribution, having held senior roles at Kerry, Olam Food Ingredients, Schwan’s and American Hotel Register. He has built strategic account teams that delivered double-digit revenue increases, restructured organizations to accelerate performance, and forged partnerships with industry giants including Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Wawa, Costco and Sysco.
“I’m thrilled to join such an iconic company with incredible growth potential,” said the new senior vice president. “Ajinomoto has a long history of bringing craveable shareables and bites to foodservice through broadline distribution. I’m especially excited about the opportunity to expand our leadership in the Latin, Mexican and Asian cuisine categories. Bringing authentic Asian offerings such as Gyoza, Shumai, and bold-flavored dumplings to more foodservice and convenience store customers across North America represents a tremendous growth opportunity.”
Flack will oversee the entire foodservice division, strengthening relationships with distributors, national accounts and convenience store operators. His cross-channel expertise in branded and private label manufacturing, hospitality and CPG positions him to accelerate Ajinomoto’s momentum in key markets.
Joining him is Ed Shabaz, a veteran sales leader with more than 20 years in the convenience channel, where prepared foods now represent more than two-thirds of total foodservice sales according to NACS statistics. He has been hired to develop sales strategy for both foodservice and CPG.
“With convenience stores looking to transform their food offerings, Ajinomoto is well positioned to lead,” said Shabaz. “Backed by my two decades of experience, we’ll drive innovation, establish powerful partnerships, and make Ajinomoto a brand consumers know, crave and trust.”
A wholly owned subsidiary of the Tokyo, Japan-headquartered Ajinomoto Group, Ajinomoto Foods North America’s consumer brands include José Olé, Ling Ling, Tai Pei and Ajinomoto. Among its foodservice brands are Ajinomoto, Fred’s, Golden Tiger, Posada and Revel Eats.
