Bang Energy Parent Ousts Founder/CEO

March 10, 2023

John DiDonato will take over as interim CEO and chief transformation officer.

Only five short months since filing for Chapter 11 protections, Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc., doing business as Bang Energy and VPX Sports, announced that John “Jack” Owoc, founder, CEO, chairman and chief science officer, will no longer serve as CEO, CSO or on the board of directors for the company.

In his stead, the company’s chief transformation officer, John C. DiDonato, will become interim CEO and CTO, effective immediately. In addition, Gene Bukovi has been elevated to chief operating officer of the company.

These changes add to what has been a rocky six months for Bang Energy, which filed for Chapter 11 in October 2022 and also was hit in September with a $293 million damages payment to Monster Energy Co. in a lawsuit alleging that Bang falsely advertised the ingredients and health benefits of its drinks.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.