Bell Flavors & Fragrances
Bell Flavors & Fragrances Makes Leadership Changes
Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. has made strategic executive leadership changes within the company’s U.S. Flavor and Quality Compliance, Operational Excellence and Environmental Health & Safety divisions at its global headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.
“Congratulations on all well-deserved promotions at Bell Flavors & Fragrances. I thank these experts for their leadership and look forward to their continued success as they inspire Bell employees to uphold total customer satisfaction,” said Ron Stark, president & CEO.
Cody Heinz has been promoted to vice president of U.S. Flavor Sales in Northbrook. Since joining Bell in September 2012, Heinz has held positions with increased responsibility, most recently serving as director of U.S. Flavor Sales.
In his new leadership role, Heinz will drive the strategic direction of and oversee Bell’s Flavor Sales division, with a continued focus on growth and performance through all stages of the customer experience.
Heinz earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University and master of business administration degree from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is actively involved in the flavors and fragrances industry and holds a variety of professional appointments, such as being part of the National Confectioners Association’s 2024 Class of Future Leaders, 2025 Western Candy Conference Chairman and serving as a committee member for the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association, NCA and more.
Justin Kozlowski has been promoted to vice president and commercial general manager of flavors in Northbrook. He joined Bell in June 2023, previously serving as the vice president of beverage, flavor creation & application.
In this new role, Kozlowski will manage Bell’s Flavor Sales, Creation, Application and Administration teams. He will ensure that Bell’s go-to-market strategy is executed with excellence, bringing targeted consumers closer to our customers’ brands through superior flavor experiences.
Kozlowski earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from DePaul University, a master of science degree in Food Science from the University of Illinois and a master of business administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. As a certified flavorist, he has been in the flavor industry for 20 years and is active as a Society of Flavor Chemists board member.
Mike Smith has been promoted to vice president of flavors and fragrances, quality compliance, operational excellence and environmental health & safety. Smith has been with Bell since July 2020, previously serving as the senior director of manufacturing at Bell’s Middletown, N.Y.. facility. He will now be based in Northbrook.
In his new role, Smith assumes executive leadership and is responsible for overseeing and developing strategies, policies and procedures for Bell’s Quality Compliance, Operational Excellence and Environmental Health and Safety teams.
Additionally, Smith will be responsible for maintaining relevant sustainability and quality management certifications and ensure ongoing compliance with local and federal food, chemical and occupational safety regulations.
Smith earned his bachelor of arts degree in government and history from the University of Notre Dame and his master of business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He is both HACCP and PCQI-certified.
Kenneth Beecher has been promoted to director manufacturing at Bell’s Middletown site. Beecher has been with Bell since 2018, previously serving as the associate director of manufacturing since 2022.
In his new role, Beecher will manage all safety, quality and service goals in accordance with Bell policies, SQF standards and government regulations.
He’ll also lead the Middletown team as an active member of Bell’s Food Defense, HAACP, GMP, Food Safety and Quality Development and Recall teams while ensuring that departments ranging from Inventory Control to Quality Systems operate at peak performance.
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Bell Flavors & Fragrances Announces Promotions
Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. announced strategic promotions within the company’s Flavor and Fragrance divisions as well as Consumer & Sensory Science and Customer Service departments at its global headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.
“Bell Flavors & Fragrances continues to grow thanks to the strategic leadership of these individuals and the impact their teams are having on employee engagement and the customer experience,” said Ron Stark, president & CEO.
Benjamin Stanley, CRC has been promoted to director of sweet applications at Northbrook. In his new role, Stanley will continue to grow Bell’s sweet dairy business and serve as lead technical support. He will also co-lead a cross-functional team leveraging Bell’s more than 110-year-long intellectual property legacy by curating internal technology capabilities and expanding them to new applications.
Stanley holds a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts from Kendall College and a master’s degree in Innovation through Northeastern University’s D’Amore McKim School of Business. He is certified as a research chef by the Research Chef’s Association.
Vuk Levakov has been promoted to senior director of beverage applications at Northbrook.
Levakov will continue to manage Bell’s beverage applications team and collaborate with cross-functional partners to develop and execute strategic plans. His additional responsibilities involve creating efficient processes and procedures for the team and improving the customer experience for Bell’s beverage clients.
Vuk holds a master of science degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Andrew Petrouhas been promoted to flavorist, Savory Lab manager at Northbrook.
Petrouhas will lead day-to-day operations of Bell Flavors & Fragrances’s Savory Lab and spearhead the development of savory innovations and commercial projects to deliver best-in-class results to Bell’s customers. He will also continue training and educating a new generation of future flavorists.
Petrouhas holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and in 2023 became certified member of the American Society of Flavor Chemists.
Melissa Scharoff has been promoted to junior perfumer and fragrance evaluation manager at Northbrook.
In her new role, Scharoff will begin working as a Junior Perfumer, creating fragrances under the guidance of the Perfumery Team while continuing to work as a Fragrance Evaluator within the Fragrance Development Team.
Scharoff holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester and was recently accepted as a member of the American Society of Perfumers.
Karen Graves has been promoted to vice president of shared technical services at Northbrook.
Graves will lead the development and execution of the strategic vision and best-in-class service levels for Bell’s Technical teams. Graves will also co-lead a cross-functional team leveraging Bell’s over 110-year-long intellectual property legacy by curating internal technology capabilities and expanding them to new applications.
Graves earned her bachelor’s degree in food industry and business and master’s degree in food science, specializing in sensory science, from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I). She also holds a certificate in business administration from U of I.
Susan Payton has been promoted to vice president of customer service at Northbrook.
Payton will be at the forefront of elevating customer satisfaction in her new role, overseeing and guiding Bell’s customer service operations. Her responsibilities include devising and executing strategies to enrich the customer experience, efficiently addressing challenges and fostering ongoing enhancements in Bell’s customer service processes.
Payton holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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Bell Flavors & Fragrances Announces Strategic Promotions
Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. has announced strategic promotions within the company’s Flavor and Fragrance divisions as well as Internal Operations and Finance departments at its headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.
FLAVOR DIVISION
Benjamin Stanley, CRC has been promoted to senior corporate chef and manager of sweet applications. Stanley will continue managing the Sweet Applications Team, including internal and customer projects. He will continue ideating around and promoting innovative flavors for Bell’s Spark Trends and other programs.
Since joining Bell 3.5 years ago, Stanley has played a critical role on the Culinary Applications Team, in which he demonstrates a strong commitment to widening Bell’s flavor market share and boosting Bell’s visibility within the confection and sweet goods industry. Stanley recently graduated with a master of science degree in Innovation from Northeastern University’s D-Amore-McKim School of Business.
Andrew Petrou has been promoted to flavorist II. Petrou will continue to ideate around and develop cutting-edge savory flavors for use in a variety of food and beverage applications.
Petrou is a key member of Bell’s Savory team, supporting the Bell Technology & Innovation Center and successfully developing new savory flavors. He was recently accepted into the Society of Flavor Chemists with full certification status and is one of the few certified members specializing in Savory Flavor Chemistry. Petrou holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Cody Heinz has been promoted to director of sales. Heinz will implement and manage Bell’s sales metrics tool. He will engage in a variety of initiatives to support sales goals and equip the sales team with transparent, effective and efficient sales management data and resource planning.
Heinz recently celebrated ten years with Bell Flavors & Fragrances, holding roles as an Inside sales representative and national account manager. Heinz earned a master of business administration in business administration, management & operations from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology & health from Miami University of Ohio.
FRAGRANCE DIVISION
Kenny Enriquez has been promoted to director of sales. Enriquez will be responsible for implementing and managing key sales metrics. He will support the sales team with utilizing transparent, effective and efficient sales management data and engaging in resource planning and tracking profitability.
Prior to this role, Enriquez was a sales key account manager and account executive at Bell. Enriquez holds a master of business administration from Lewis University and a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Kansas.
Ted Heinz has been promoted to fragrance business development manager. Heinz will be a key player in Bell’s business development initiative to continue strengthening the Fragrance division.
Heinz joined Bell in 2005 as an analytical department analyst, transitioning into internal sales, then his former position as an account manager. Heinz holds a bachelor of science in communication and business from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis.
OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
Olu Famoyin has been promoted to director of manufacturing. Famoyin will lead the Manufacturing, Shipping and Maintenance teams, propelling Bell’s commitment to optimizing productivity, maximizing efficiency, and ensuring full compliance with processes, quality standards and safety policies.
Famoyin joined the Bell Flavors & Fragrances family as an associate director of operations where he worked on manufacturing improvements and adoption of a new ERP system. Famoyin played a pivotal role in implementing shipping improvements to optimize day-to-day operations. Famoyin earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and has extensive Flavor industry experience leading multiple sites.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Theresa Link has been promoted to controller. Link will be responsible for general accounting, payroll, cash management, internal controls and financial closes for Bell’s Northbrook and New York locations. She will also ensure accurate financial statements and analyses to support the business.
Link has been a dedicated member of the Bell family for 17 years. Prior to this role, Link was Bell’s Director of Cost Accounting. She possesses expertise in inventory costing, cash management and general ledger, and serves as a subject matter expert for Bell’s ERP system. Link earned her master of business administration in accounting and finance from Elmhurst University.
Brian Enriquez has been promoted to director of cost accounting. In this new role, Enriquez will continue implementing a new product system, working closely with Bell’s Operations Team to evaluate manufacturing labor and overhead rates and tracking incurred costs from raw materials to finished products.
Prior to this role, Enriquez was Bell’s senior manager of finance and pricing. Enriquez earned his bachelor’s degree in financial planning and master’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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