Dairy processor Tillamook County Creamery Assn. (TCCA) has announced that president & CEO Patrick Criteser, who has led the company for more than a decade, will step down later this year and be replaced by David Booth, current executive vice president of brand growth & commercialization.
Criteser endorsed Booth’s appointment, and he will step away having led TCCA through its transformation from a regional heritage brand into one of the largest and fastest-growing dairy companies in the U.S. He was appointed president & CEO of the farmer-owned cooperative in 2012.
“I have accomplished what I hoped to achieve for the farmer-owners of this amazing cooperative, so I’ve decided that the time is right for this transition,” Criteser said in the company release on the announcement. “Serving in this role has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am absolutely certain that our board has chosen the right person to succeed me in David.”
Booth will immediately assume the role of president while Criteser remains CEO until later this year as part of the transition plan. Once Criteser steps away officially, Booth will move into the president & CEO role.
Booth has extensive experience across TCCA, having joined the company in 2015 — and he has served as interim CFO on two occasions. He has built sales, marketing and category growth teams, the release stated, forged crucial partnerships with retailers across the nation, and crafted the Tillamook brand’s growth strategy.
He has nearly 30 years of executive experience, including 18 years at Conagra Foods.
