Kind Healthy Snacks, one of the most prominent marketers of snacks with wholesome ingredients like fruits, nuts and whole grains, has hired a new president and chief operating officer.
Mike Barkley, a veteran food executive who has worked for Frito-Lay, Campbell Soup and most recently Pinnacle Foods, was named to the position at Kind on Jan. 23. His positions at Pinnacle included president of Boulder Brands, senior vice-president and general manager of meals and sides, and chief marketing officer.
Barkley will replace John Leahy, who will retire after eight years of service and will assume a strategic adviser role. He will report to company founder and CEO Daniel Lubetzky.
Lubetzky gave a statement praising Leahy, who is credited with helping build Kind from nine products to more than 70, with employees growing from 30 to more than 700, and expanding retail outlets tenfold.
“I owe a tremendous amount to John, not just for his mastery of the business and desire to service customers with excellence and long-term orientation, but also for his loyalty, mentorship, exemplary work ethic and values, and ability to have fun along the way,” Lubetzky said. “While I will miss our daily partnership, ours is a lifetime friendship that will endure.”
