Natalie Barber Halpern has joined Gotham Greens as the company’s first chief commercial officer, which brings together sales, marketing and innovation under one commercial organization.
In the newly created role, she will lead Gotham Greens’ efforts to deepen retail partnerships, strengthen the brand and launch innovation across its expanding portfolio of fresh consumer packaged goods products.
Halpern brings experience scaling consumer and wellness brands, with a proven track record of driving commercial growth and category leadership, according to the company. Most recently, she led the U.S. Advil business at Haleon, with prior roles across Centrum and Caltrate vitamins and Sensodyne and Parodontax toothpastes.
The CPG industry veteran began her career at The Clorox Co., supporting the Hidden Valley Ranch, Kingsford, Glad and Clorox brands. She later joined Nature’s Variety, manufacturer of Instinct, a premium fresh pet-nutrition brand.
“Gotham Greens has built an incredible brand that delivers a superior consumer experience, time and time again, and I’m proud to lead the team that will use this foundation to build the next chapter of the company’s growth,” Halpern says. “We have an opportunity to create a truly differentiated fresh food brand that holds a bigger place in consumers’ lives and expands into new eating occasions that make meals easier and more delicious.
“On top of this, Gotham Greens has seen a significant surge in consumer awareness and engagement amid heightened interest in food safety and greenhouse-grown produce following the recent cyclospora outbreak,” Halpern adds.
Boosting National Sales Capabilities
Gotham Greens also announced it has teamed up with C.A. Fortune to expand its national sales capabilities and accelerate distribution across key accounts. C.A. Fortune will manage headquarter sales nationally, supported by its national in-store team and its integrated marketing, insights and digital commerce capabilities.
“Retailers are looking for brands that can deliver reliable supply, differentiated consumer products and incremental growth in-store and on a screen,” says Tyler Lowell, managing partner and CEO of C.A. Fortune. “Gotham Greens brings all three benefits to the table, along with a strong recognizable brand and an innovation pipeline that gives us plenty of runway to grow the business together. We’re excited to help bring Gotham Greens to more retail customers across the country.”
Gotham Greens says the move aims to expand its national reach by investing heavily in workforce talent, strategic partnerships and operational capabilities to support its product line.
“Gotham Greens has already built something few companies and brands in this industry can replicate: a national network of greenhouses, established retail partnerships, a trusted brand and a fresh food platform that extends well beyond leafy greens,” says Gotham Greens CEO Craig Stevenson. “With the addition of Natalie and C.A. Fortune to the Gotham Greens team, we’re better positioned than ever to expand distribution, drive velocity and household penetration, and deliver long-term profitable growth across our portfolio.”
