Schwan’s Company CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios has announced the promotion of Julie Francis to the newly created position of chief operating officer, and the addition of Brian Schiegg as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc.

“As a company, we are truly fortunate to have both of these outstanding leaders on our team. Their extensive knowledge and expertise in the food industry, strong customer focus and outstanding leadership will help us strengthen our operations, bring elevated service to our customers, and achieve our growth objectives,” Smyrnios said.

Francis, who has more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, joined Schwan’s Company in 2018 as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, a subsidiary that focuses on the sales and distribution of branded foods to retail-grocery and club stores. During her time in this role, she has strengthened Schwan’s customer relationships and led the business to strong sales growth, significant market-share gains and improved profitability.

In her new role as chief operating officer, Francis will continue to report to Smyrnios and serve on the company’s executive leadership team. She will lead the management teams for Schwan’s Company subsidiaries Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Schwan’s Food Service, Inc. and SFC Global Supply Chain, Inc., as well as other specific operational and shared services functions.

“Since joining our company, Julie’s deep industry and operational experience has helped deliver outstanding results for our business and customers,” Smyrnios said. “She is a values-based leader who possesses a great energy for achieving operational excellence, serving our customers, driving profitable growth and leading people. Julie’s passion for leading people and teams has had a positive impact on the business and our company’s culture. I am excited to see Julie take on this expanded role within Schwan’s.”

Schiegg has joined Schwan’s Company as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands. He brings more than two decades of global experience in the consumer and packaged goods industry, most recently serving as chief operating officer and president of Ocean Spray International Services. With Ocean Spray, he led all U.S. sales, global business units, marketing, planning, manufacturing, global ingredients and supply chain operations. Earlier, he spent many years in leadership roles with Mars, Inc.

As president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Schiegg will be responsible for driving growth initiatives for many of the company’s iconic brands, including Red Baron, Tony’s and Freschetta pizza, Mrs. Smith’s and Edwards desserts, and Bibigo, Pagoda, Minh and Kahiki Asian foods. He will also serve on Schwan’s Company’s executive leadership team and report to Francis.

“Throughout his career, Brian has successfully delivered profitable growth across multiple geographies and categories, and I look forward to working closely with him as we continue our efforts to bring delicious foods to families everywhere and deliver the best service possible to our customers,” Francis said.