Hormel Foods named Jeff Frank to vice president of Grocery Products, leading the Planters and Corn Nuts brands’ strategic integration into Hormel Foods. The Planters and Corn Nuts acquisition was announced on February 11 and is expected to be completed by the summer.
Frank currently serves as vice president of marketing for the Foodservice business within Hormel Foods.
“The Planters acquisition is the largest in the company’s history and one that is going to require dedicated leadership and significant focus,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer. “Jeff has broad experience within Hormel Foods and brings extensive retail, foodservice, operational, and marketing experience to this new role within our Grocery Products business.”
Frank began his career with Hormel Foods in 1998 in sales in San Francisco, California, and later moved to its global headquarters in product and brand management overseeing iconic brands such as Hormel Black Label bacon and Hormel Cure 81 ham.
He went on to advance to leadership roles in retail marketing, returning to California, eventually leading the company’s MegaMex Foods joint venture with Herdez del Fuerte S.A. de C.V (Mexico), where he was president and CEO, building a strong and growing business with on-trend brands such as Wholly Guacamole and Herdez salsa. He returned to the company’s world headquarters in 2018, assuming his current role in its Foodservice division.
Frank holds an executive certificate from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and Spanish from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He has also participated in Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program.
Related Article: Hormel Foods Acquires Planters Brands for $3.35 Billion
Also, Annemarie Vaupel, currently director of marketing for the Foodservice division, will advance to vice president of marketing for the Foodservice division.
As vice president of marketing, Hormel Foodservice, Vaupel will be responsible for the overall development of marketing, brand strategy, and financial performance for the Foodservice business.
“Annemarie has significant knowledge and experience with Hormel Foods and in the broader foodservice industry,” Snee said. “Annemarie will continue to provide leadership to our Foodservice team through her innovation, marketing, and sales acumen. She will also be a very strategic and important partner to our foodservice customers, as the foodservice industry continues to recover in 2021.”
Vaupel joined Hormel Foods in 2002. While she began in human resources, her love of food led her to the company’s Foodservice division, where she has been an important leader in brand management, sales, and innovation.
She served as a brand manager, national sales manager for the healthcare segment, and led the innovation efforts for the division. She assumed her current role as the director of marketing in 2018. Prior to starting her career with Hormel Foods, Annemarie held a variety of sales and management positions with Xerox Corporation.
Vaupel is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She also holds her Professional HR Certification (PHR) and has served as a board member and chair of the Industry Advisory board (IAB) for the Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF). She is active in the foodservice industry and supports numerous nonprofit causes, including the United Way and women’s leadership.