Chobani appoints Peter McGuinness president

McGuinness will report to Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder; the company also announced the promotion of several other employees.

Chobani LLC, a Norwich, N.Y.-based producer of Greek yogurt products, said it promoted Peter McGuinness to president of the company, reporting to Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder, effective Aug. 28, 2019. The promotion comes after six years of McGuinness' extraordinary leadership, impact and commitment to the Chobani brand, its people and its customers, helping the company to become America's No. 1 Greek yogurt brand and the second-largest overall yogurt manufacturer in the United States, Chobani said.

"We created this company with people at the center, and they are the reason for where we are today. Peter has been an amazing member of that journey, and I'm honored and happy to have him as president," Ulukaya said. "Passion, intelligence and collaboration make us who we are, and I love seeing this talent rising up through the company, working side by side to build the future of Chobani. We continue to break down walls, collaborate more and become closer as leaders, making a better food company for tomorrow."

In addition to his current responsibilities overseeing Chobani's demand function, McGuinness will oversee Chobani's supply chain, manufacturing, sustainability, and research and development functions, the company said. The alignment of these functions comes at a critical time in Chobani's growth and expansion. The company is continuing its efforts to break down silos and shift toward a nimbler, team-centric way of organizing — a model that was tested and proven through the combination of the company's sales, marketing and new product development functions under him in 2017.

This collaborative, agile approach is paying off — to date, Chobani is the only major U.S. yogurt brand to grow in dollar sales and market share in 2019, the company said.

Chobani also announced the promotion of several other leaders and rising stars within the company:

Federico Muyshondt was named chief customer officer, reporting to McGuinness. In addition to overseeing retail and international sales activity, Muyshondt will now oversee category development, shopper marketing, and revenue and trade management.
Jason Blaisure was named senior vice president of supply chain, reporting to McGuinness. Blaisure will oversee manufacturing and engineering operations, procurement, logistics and customer service, and contract manufacturing.
Parag Agrawal was named chief information officer, reporting to Ulukaya. He will oversee the company's technological infrastructure and IT operations.
Grace Zuncic was named chief people and culture officer, continuing to report to Ulukaya. She remains responsible for maintaining the company's strong company culture and human resources capabilities.

Furthermore, the company announced the departure of Mick Beekhuizen, chief financial officer. He has worked during his tenure at the company to make Chobani better, stronger and more prepared for its future.

In line with Chobani's desire to celebrate and promote talent from within, Michelle Brooks, current Chobani treasurer, will serve as interim chief financial officer. Brooks joined Chobani in the fall of 2018 to serve as treasurer and lead the company's investor relations. In this interim role, she will continue to shepherd the company's investment strategy and financial strength, Chobani said.

With these changes, 50% of Chobani's executive leadership team will comprise female leaders. Chobani said this is a proud moment for the company, as diversity and inclusion has always been a part of its values.