Beer Marketer's Insights - PEOPLE: COO Cole Has Exited Bang, a Mere 2 Months In; With Pepsi Vet Lansing Aboard as Health-Ade CEO, Remaining Cofounders Will Move On + Other Moves

Looks like high-level addition to senior team at Bang Energy marketer VPX Sports hasn't lasted very long. Kathy Cole, the Pepsi and Coke vet who was recruited in Oct for newly created #2 slot on senior team as co navigates bankruptcy process and scrambles for financing, was there barely long enough to enjoy a can of Bang keto coffee. She's exited co just 5 or 6 weeks into her run there, along with key recruit on sales side, we hear. Inquiries to VPX execs over past week haven't drawn response but Kathy's LinkedIn profile now carries Dec end date to run there that started in Oct. From what we heard, she confronted uphill climb trying to implement CPG rigor into freewheeling, decentralized co, at time it's under severe legal and financial strains as it struggles to move on from Pepsi alliance and severe legal setbacks at hands of rival Monster Bev and others. Tho Cole was onboarded in off-the-cuff manner without even going thru formal interview process, per one contact, there seemed nothing lacking in skill set she brought to task, but just as suddenly she was out, along with recruit she'd brought in for key sales role just a month or so ago. "Kind of an inevitability - one day there, one day gone," that contact said. We presume Jack's longtime #2, Gene Bukovi, has reclaimed that spot after reporting to Cole rather than Owoc lately. Recall that Cole's hiring had come as surprise even to folks within Fla-based co (BBI, Oct 13). At time, founder/ceo Jack Owoc said her 3 decades of experience made her "uniquely qualified to build upon Bang Energy's success and seamlessly integrate supply chain, distribution, operations, sales, and finance. We are confident that Kathy's skills and longtime industry relationships will fuel Bang Energy's strategic growth as we transition to a 100% vertically operated decentralized distribution model" - his way of referring to post-Pepsi move back into fragmented network of mainly beer houses.Further Transition at Health-Ade Kombucha as Pepsi Vet Lansing Takes Top Role; Cofounders Trout, Dew Prepare to Move On What's presumed to be final domino for a while has dropped at Health-Ade Kombucha, which saw former ceo Jack Belsito depart just a year in, succeeded on interim basis by cofounder Vanessa Dew (BBI, Sep 16). For permanent spot at LA-based marketer of booch and canned sparklers co has brought in Chris Lansing, longtime PepsiCo exec who&#39;d had earlier stint in segment running that co&#39;s acquired KeVita brand. Among founders, both Dew, who'd focused on sales, and chief mission officer Daina Trout now will move on in new year; Trout's husband Justin had left earlier after handling ops side in recent years. Belsito has also departed core investor First Beverage Group, without explanation so far for either move. Lansing brings intimate familiarity to kombucha and cold channel in general after running Naked Juice brand, then identifying KeVita as prospect for investment and then purchase, running that as part of PEP's Premium Nutrition & Venturing arm. For past 5 years she'd served as ceo of Nature's Bakery and holds board seats on Welch's growers co-op and Mid America Pet Food.Recall, brand had been launched by the 3 friends at LA farmers markets just over a decade ago. Dew, who'd previously worked 5 years as sales rep for pharma player GSK, focused on sales side, with national presence at Costco one of latest conquests. For her, recruitment of Lansing offers a way to move on to other passion projects, she told us today. "After over a decade building Health-Ade with Daina and Justin, I'm pleased that we are finally in a place where I can confidently step away and know that the business has the right team and leadership with Chris at the helm to take it through the next stage of growth," she texted us. "My passion is in brand building and mentoring female and Asian-American owned companies; in fact I am already invested in and advisor to 15 now. I am an entrepreneur at heart, so you'll see me involved in something new in the near future," she promised.Other Moves: Coke N Amer CMO Boulden Heads to Tyson; Icahn Allies Take Seats on Crown Board; Roy Now Impact Officer at Chobani; Sprouts Names Gmelich as CMO Coca-Cola's North America cmo Melanie Boulden has departed the Atlanta-based conglomerate for a new role at Tyson Foods where she will serve as evp/chief growth officer. At KO she'd been responsible for flagship trademarks like Coke, Sprite, Smartwater and Minute Maid after earlier posting running Still Beverages unit, where co's waters, sports drinks, teas and coffees are grouped, and prexy/gm of Venturing & Emerging Brands incubation unit. She'd earlier worked at Reebok, Crayola, Kraft and Henkel . . . Carl Icahn has placed coupla allies on board of can maker Crown Holdings. Icahn Enterprises general counsel Jesse Lynn and Icahn Capital portfolio mgr Andrew Teno are immediately joining board that's been expanded to 13 members, 12 of them independent, following what Crown ceo Tim Donahue termed "constructive dialogue" with Icahn team over past several weeks. In return Icahn won't add to his current 8.5% share of common stock . . . Chobani named Nishant Roy as its chief commns & impact officer, capping rise that's led him from 5 years as chief of staff to chief of strategic operations in Mar. Roy, who reports to prexy/coo Kevin Burns, also serves on board of coffee roaster La Colombe, which Chobani controls . . . Sprouts Farmers Market, which has increasingly been in vanguard of retailers onboarding cutting-edge brands, has recruited restaurant vet Alisa Gmelich as svp/cmo, reporting to prexy/coo Nick Konat with portfolio that includes marketing, advertising and customer engagement. She brings over 25 years in marketing, most recently as chief brand officer at Auntie Anne's. She'd earlier spent 15 years on restaurant side at IHOP and Burger King.

PEOPLE: COO Cole Has Exited Bang, a Mere 2 Months In; With Pepsi Vet Lansing Aboard as Health-Ade CEO, Remaining Cofounders Will Move On + Other Moves

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