Utz Brands Hires Kelley as Financial Officer, Promotes Stuart to Sales Role
William J. Kelley Jr.
Utz Brands, Inc. has appointed William J. Kelley Jr. (Bill) as executive vice president, chief financial officer and principal accounting officer, effective May 1. He will succeed Ajay Kataria, who will step down as those positions on May 1.
Kelley most recently served as global chief financial officer at Tropicana Brands Group, Inc. Upon joining Utz on May 1, he will work closely with Kataria to help ensure a seamless transition through May 31. Kelley will report to Howard Friedman, chief executive officer of Utz.
“Bill brings deep financial expertise and operational experience across some of the most respected names in food and beverage. We are excited to welcome him to Utz as we continue executing on our long-term growth strategy,” said Friedman. “I want to extend our gratitude to Ajay for his leadership and impact over the past eight years, the last four as CFO — his contributions were many, including as part of our public listing in 2020, multiple acquisitions and integrations, as well as a major ERP installation; all were instrumental in building our financial foundation. We wish Ajay all the best.”
Commenting on his appointment, Kelley said, “I have long admired the Utz brand and the tremendous momentum it has captured behind its geographic expansion. I’m thrilled to be joining the team at such an exciting time and look forward to partnering with Howard and the broader leadership team to drive continued growth and value for shareholders.”
“I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished during my time at Utz,” said Kataria. “It has been an honor to help grow and expand this great company. I will be supporting the team during this transition period and look forward to all that is ahead for Utz.”
Jeremy Stuart
Utz also announced that Mark Schreiber, executive vice president, sales & chief customer officer, will retire effective May 31, and will remain in a transition role through the end of June. He will be succeeded by Jeremy Stuart, currently senior vice president, large format.
Schreiber joined Utz Brands in 2017 and held multiple leadership roles across both Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, Utz’s annual sales grew significantly, supported by successful acquisitions, distribution expansions, and brand integrations.
“Mark has been a true champion of the Utz brand and a driving force behind our commercial success. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement,” said Friedman.
“Jeremy’s deep understanding of the customer landscape and operational focus make him the ideal leader to build on Mark’s legacy and take our customer partnerships to the next level,” added Friedman.
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