In a move to bolster the evolving organization, Food52 has appointed five executives to its growing team including Jason Chatterjee who has been named CFO and head of corporate development.
In addition, Ben Gerst joins Food52 as chief product and technology officer, Jieh Greeney joins as senior vp of retail, David Cole joins as senior vp of integration and strategic initiatives, and Elizabeth Spiridakis Olson joins as vp of creative.
Food52 stated that the strategic additions come as the brand embarks on a transformative year. It continues to integrate recently acquired home companies Schoolhouse and Dansk, as it readies the debut of its own pantry line. In addition, the company is beginning work on a flagship retail location in New York City and a move into its new headquarters in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Chatterjee was a partner at Boston Consulting Group and investment professional with Sycamore Partners and LCatterton, and arrives as Food52’s size has doubled with the addition of Schoolhouse. He will supervise the company’s overall financial strategy, including future acquisitions.
Gerst, who will focus on integrated content, community and commerce model, has worked at the intersection of journalism and technology, coming to Food52 from the Los Angeles Times where he was the chief technology officer. Greeney, who will supervise brick-and-mortar experience strategy, was Tiffany & Co.’s head of business transformation and retail activation and held strategy- and growth-focused roles at McKinsey & Co. and Lululemon Athletica.
Cole will head up the integration of Schoolhouse and its 145-person team and was the COO of Resware at Qualia as well as an integration executive at Intuit, Yahoo and Salesforce. Olson is responsible for establishing and driving creative direction that distinguishes Food52, and previously held creative director positions at leading retailers and publishers including Kate Spade New York, AFAR, and Bon Appétit, and was a senior designer at T: The New York Times Magazine.
“If we want to continue to innovate, we have to invest in accomplished and ambitious leaders to head up every part of our business from technology and finance to creative,” said Food52 founder and CEO Amanda Hesser in announcing the executive appointments. “I am so proud of our team and feel confident that we have the leaders in place to take us into this exciting next chapter.”
Amanda Hesser, founder and CEO of Food52 will offer an in-depth look into the development and growth of the company during a keynote session at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago. Hesser’s keynote is Sunday, March 6, noon-1 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom (room S100) of McCormick Place South.
