Former Starbucks, Disney exec joins Shenandoah Growers as new CEO
Matthew Ryan, former chief marketing officer for Starbucks, is the new CEO of Rockingham, Va.-based Shenandoah Growers.
Ryan succeeds Timothy Heydon, who has led the company for more than 20 years. Heydon will continue to be engaged with Shenandoah Growers, working with the board of directors to provide strategic counsel, according to a news release.
Company president Philip Karp spoke highly of Ryan and Heydon and expressed excitement about both guiding the company through the coming years.
"Matt is a proven leader and strategist with an impressive track record of building strong, competitively advantaged brands in roles at Starbucks and Disney," Karp said in the release. "As Shenandoah Growers seeks to do the same in produce – scaling across many different crops, sales channels and geographies – Matt's leadership will be invaluable.
"Shenandoah Growers is also incredibly fortunate to be retaining the deep institutional knowledge of our outgoing CEO, Tim Heydon," Karp said. "Tim's vision and steady hand have guided the company's growth for the past two decades. The strong position we hold today as both a market and technology leader are a credit to Tim, and we are so pleased that he will continue to be an integral part of our team as this journey continues."
Ryan described the company as a leader in its field and said that was an attractive attribute for him.
"When I looked at the booming business of indoor agriculture, Shenandoah Growers stood out as the company with the strongest track record, and the best technical and biological know-how to transform its existing market-leading position into a long-term strategic advantage," Ryan said in the release. "My career has been shaped and defined by innovative, market-leading companies. Here, the opportunity for growth could be even greater, as Shenandoah Growers is uniquely positioned to deliver against the converging demand for affordable, high-quality and organic produce, and the need to grow it sustainably and reliably."
Shenandoah Growers also has announced the hiring of Mike Buckley, who was most recently senior vice president of business for Postmates, as its new chief financial officer.
"Mike's sharp business acumen and track record of developing and implementing winning growth strategies at consumer brands like Postmates and Nike make him an incredible asset to our fast-growing company," Karp said in the release. "As we continue to expand, Mike will ensure that we are well-positioned to maintain our current momentum well into the future."
Buckley praised the company's strategy and growth potential.
"I was attracted by what Shenandoah Growers has already been able to accomplish through its 'biology first, technology to scale' approach, in terms of sales growth and profitability, growth in market share and long-standing retail customer relationships," Buckley said in the release. "I'm excited to help maintain the company's current course financially while simultaneously scaling to serve new and diverse markets."
Earlier this month, the company also announced the hires of Tessa Pocock as chief science officer and Cameron Geiger as chief operating officer.
