Schwan’s Co. has announced that Brian Schiegg has been promoted to serve as chief executive officer, taking the reins from Dimitrios Smyrnios, who is retiring after more than a decade of leadership.
Schiegg most recently served as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands business, a role he has held since January 2021, and he is the seventh CEO for the 72-year-old company. The Consumer Brands unit includes the Red Baron, Freschetta and Tony’s pizza brands, Mrs. Smith’s and Edwards desserts brands, and Pagoda and bibigo Asian-style food brands.
The announcement from the company lauded the “outstanding growth” achieved under Schiegg’s leadership, citing the fact that bibigo and Red Baron have claimed top market share positions within their respective categories.
Before joining Schwan’s in 2021, Schiegg served as chief operating officer of Ocean Spray Cranberries and served in leadership roles at Mars Inc. in various divisions and subsidiaries of that company.
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.