The National Confectioners Association has announced the appointment of Lynn Wylie as senior director of industry affairs, a new position focused on building and strengthening relationships with retail customers, wholesalers and distributors, to drive engagement and participation in industry initiatives and NCA signature events, including Sweets & Snacks Expo. Wylie comes to NCA with an impressive background in retail, sales leadership and business development, marketing, product development, licensing, and business consulting.

“Lynn’s experience in sales and business development positions her for success as the newest member of the industry affairs team,” John Downs, president and CEO of NCA, said. “Her already strong connection to the industry will be key as we continue to move forward with important work supporting confectionery in the retail environment, providing our retail partners with information and insights to enable their success in the marketplace, and facilitating connections between trading partners.”

Lynn began her career at Hallmark, where she led multimillion-dollar licensing contracts, including partnerships with Proctor & Gamble, Hasbro, and Fannie May Chocolates. Wylie’s background also includes nearly a decade of service for Maxfield Candy Company where she served as VP of sales development and grew the Mrs. Fields and Maxfield brands to over $25 million in core channels across North America. In a similar role with The Popcorn Factory, Wylie expanded their direct to consumer brand business to retail channels including Kohl’s and QVC.