Michael Kirban
Co-Founder, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Michael Kirban is one of our Co-Founders and has served as Executive Chairman since May 2022 and as Chairman of our Board since our inception in 2004. Mr. Kirban previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief-Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Kirban is a Co-Founder and currently serves on the board of directors of Software Answers Inc., a technology service provider, a position he has held since 1995.
Chairman of the Board
Martin Roper
Chief Executive Officer, Director
Martin Roper has served as Chief Executive Officer since May 2022, and as a member of our Board since January 2021. Mr. Roper previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer from January 2021 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in May 2022, and as our President from September 2019 to December 2020. Prior to his time at the Company, Mr. Roper served as Chief Executive Officer of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM), an alcoholic beverage company, from 2001 to 2018, where he oversaw the net revenue growth and diversification of the brand portfolio. Mr. Roper also served as the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Manufacturing and Business Development of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. from 1994 to 2001. In addition to his service on our Board, Mr. Roper has served as a member of the board of directors of LL Flooring Holdings, Inc. (formerly Lumber Liquidators Inc.), a flooring retail company, since 2006, and served on the board of directors of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. from 2000 to 2018. Since November 2018, Mr. Roper has served on the board of Financial Information Technologies, LLC (Fintech), a private company providing solutions to alcohol beverage distributors and retailers. Since September 2019, Mr. Roper has served on the board of directors of Bio-Nutritional Research Group, Inc., the producer and marketer of Power Crunch energy bars. Mr. Roper holds a BA, MA and MEng from Trinity Hall, Cambridge and an MBA from Harvard University.
Aishetu Fatima Dozie
Board Member
Aishetu Fatima Dozie has served as a member of our Board since June 2022. Ms. Dozie is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bossy Cosmetics, Inc., a mission-driven cruelty-free and vegan beauty company. Prior to founding Bossy Cosmetics in 2018, Ms. Dozie served as a Fellow at the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University. Previously, Ms. Dozie served as General Manager and Head of Investment Banking, West Africa at Rand Merchant Bank from 2015 until 2017. Prior to Rand Merchant Bank, Ms. Dozie worked for Lehman Brothers Inc., Morgan Stanley, and Standard Chartered Bank as a senior investment banking executive working on transactions in the US, UK, and Sub-Saharan Africa exceeding deal value of $100 billion. Ms. Dozie has also worked at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where she focused on financing businesses in the manufacturing, infrastructure, and service sectors in regions such as Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Africa. In addition, Ms. Dozie founded a first-of-its-kind children’s play and activity center in Lagos, Nigeria and authored a children’s picture book entitled “Paloo & Friends in Imaginaria.” Ms. Dozie executive produced an online television series named “African HERstory,” where she interviewed successful female African executives to highlight their impact on the continent’s development. Ms. Dozie holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School and participated in the Leaders in Development Program at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University. She previously served on the board of directors of Altimeter Growth Corp., including as Chair of its compensation committee and a member of the audit committee.
Independent Director
John Leahy
Board Member
John Leahy has served as a member of our Board since June 2019. Mr. Leahy served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Kind, LLC, a snack food company, from January 2010 to June 2019, and President of Nature’s Bounty Co., a vitamin and nutritional supplement manufacturer, from June 2006 to February 2009. Mr. Leahy also served as a Senior Advisor for Blacksmith Applications, Inc., formerly known as TABS Group Inc., an analytics firm that services the consumer-packaged goods industry, from August 2009 to April 2010. In addition to his service on our Board, Mr. Leahy has served as a strategic advisor for Beckon LLC, an ice cream manufacturer, since January 2018, I Won Nutrition, Co., a packaged food manufacturer, since January 2019, and Allibelle Foods, Inc., a packaged food manufacturer, since January 2020. Prior to his time at Nature’s Bounty Co., Mr. Leahy held various positions at numerous consumer packaged goods companies, including Nestlé S.A. (SIX: NESN), Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (NYSE: JNJ) and Edgewell Personal Care Company (NYSE: EPC). Mr. Leahy holds a BS in Business Administration from Villanova University.
Independent Director
Ira Liran
Board Member
Ira Liran is one of our Co-Founders and has served as a member of our Board since 2006. He previously served as our Director of Sourcing, a position he held with the Company from February 2007 until October 2021. Mr. Liran holds a BA from Columbia University.
Eric Melloul
Board Member, Lead Independent Director
Eric Melloul has served as a member of our Board since 2008 and currently serves as our independent lead director. Mr. Melloul serves as Senior Advisor for Verlinvest and previously served as Managing Director from August 2008 until February 2024. He currently serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Oatly Group AB, a food and beverage company, since September 2016, and has served on its remuneration committee since May 2021. Prior to Verlinvest, Mr. Melloul served as Global Marketing VP and China Commercial Head for Anheuser-Busch InBev from 2003 to 2008, and as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company from 1999 to 2003. Mr. Melloul has served on the board of directors for Hint Inc., a beverage company, since August 2011 and Mutti S.p.A, a food company since September 2016. Mr. Melloul holds a MPA from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and a Post Graduate Diploma from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Jane Morreau
Board Member
Jane C. Morreau has served as a member of our Board since July 2021. From 2014 to July 2021, Ms. Morreau served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: B-F.B). Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Morreau served multiple positions at Brown-Forman Corporation, including Senior Vice President, Chief Production Officer and Head of Information Technology from 2013 to 2014, and Senior Vice President of Accounting and Director of Finance, Accounting and Technology from 2008 to 2013, where she directed the financial management of the company’s sales, marketing and production and also the technology functions and operations of the company. Before joining Brown-Forman Corporation, Ms. Morreau worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation (now known as Yum! Brands) and held a number of financial roles. Ms. Morreau also has served as a member of the board of directors and audit committee of Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (OTCMKTS: TCNNF) since 2021, a member of the board of directors, audit committee and nominating committee of Del Monte Foods Holdings Inc. since June 2023 and a member of the board of directors of Ole Smoky Distillery since July 2023. Ms. Morreau holds a BS in Commerce with an emphasis in accounting and an MBA from the University of Louisville. Ms. Morreau is a Certified Public Accountant.
Independent Director
Kenneth Sadowsky
Board Member
Kenneth Sadowsky has served as a member of our Board since 2006. Mr. Sadowsky has served as a US Beverages Advisor for Verlinvest since 2009 and as the Executive Director of the Northeast Independent Distributors Association, a group of independent beverage distributors in the Northeastern United States, since 2008. Mr. Sadowsky has served on the boards of directors of LIFEAID Beverage Co. and Hint Inc., both health beverage companies, since December 2019 and May 2008, respectively and previously served on the board of directors of Energy Brands Inc. (d/b/a Glacéau), a beverage company and the makers of vitaminwater, smartwater and fruitwater, from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Sadowsky holds a BA from Tulane University.
Independent Director
John Zupo
Board Member
John Zupo has served as a member of our Board since January 2020 and was employed by the Company in various roles to advise on strategy from 2018 to 2021. Since 2019, Mr. Zupo has served as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SABX, Inc., a two-sided e-commerce platform by which buyers and sellers can directly communicate and transact with one another. Mr. Zupo has served on the SABX, Inc. board of directors since July 2020. Prior to his time at SABX, Inc., Mr. Zupo served as President of Nestlé Waters North America, Inc., a beverage manufacturer and distributor, from 2013 to 2018 and President, Nestlé Waters Canada from 2010 to 2013. Mr. Zupo holds a BA and MBA from Westminster University.