B&G Foods, the Parsippany, New Jersey-headquartered marketer of Green Giant frozen vegetables and more than 50 other consumer food brands in North America, is looking for a new president and ceo following the November 15 exit of Kenneth G. Romanzi. The reason cited for the departure of the chief executive, who also served on the board of directors, was his desire to “pursue personal interests.”
In a press release issued by the company on November 16, Romanzi stated: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at B&G Foods and am very proud of all of our accomplishments. The business is in excellent shape and I am confident the team will continue to deliver terrific results. I wish the entire B&G Foods family all the best for a bright future.”
Romanzi had headed the company since April of 2019, having been promoted to the post following the retirement of Robert C. Cantwell. Romanzi joined B&G from WhiteWave Foods Corp., where he was president of fresh foods from March 2016 to October 2017, responsible for the Earthbound Farm Organic business. Prior to that he was senior vice president and chief operating office for global brands at Ocean Spray Cranberries from 2013-15.
David L. Wenner, a member of the board of directors and former president and chief executive officer of B&G Foods from 1993 through 2014, has been appointed as interim president and ceo.
The company has initiated a search for a permanent replacement for Romanzi, and the board has appointed a special committee to direct the recruitment and transition process. It is chaired by Dennis M. Mullen, chairman of the nominating and governance committee, and includes DeAnn L. Brunts, Charles F. Marcy and Robert D. Mills.
Commenting on Romanzi’s departure, B&G Foods Chairman Stephen C. Sherrill stated: “On behalf of our entire company, I want to thank Ken for his contributions to our success over the past three years and for navigating B&G through these unprecedented times and helping keep our dedicated employees safe and healthy. I wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
Sherrill continued: “Under Ken’s leadership, B&G Foods’ financial performance has been very strong during the ongoing pandemic, as our portfolio of leading brands has benefited from increased eating at home, resulting in strong year-over-year growth. The company is in excellent operational and financial condition as evidenced by the quarterly and year-to-date financial results we reported earlier this month. Furthermore, after successfully acquiring and integrating the Clabber Girl business, B&G Foods is continuing on the acquisition path with its pending purchase of Crisco.”
