LOS ANGELES - James Lacey, founder and brand builder of Crunchies Natural Freeze Dried Snacks, has joined Snack It Forward to help drive forward the growth of the Sunkist Branded snacks group (www.snackitforward.com) as Chief Officer of Fruits & Snacks. The addition of Lacey, widely credited with creating the freeze-dried fruits category as nutritious, delicious and convenient better-for-you snacks during his nine years at the helm of Crunchies, signals Snack It Forward’s commitment to securing a leadership position in the rapidly growing category.
“We’re thrilled to have Jim on board to lead the incredible growth we are seeing for our Sunkist Fruit 2.0 (freeze dried fruits) and Sunkist Blends (trail mix redefined) product lines, and to drive new innovation,” said Nick Desai, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of Snack It Forward. “As President and CEO, he built Crunchies into the number-one category leader and his 30 years of cross-functional experience, brand building, and multichannel relationships perfectly sets the stage for our Sunkist Branded premium snacks to take the leadership position in the freeze dried, trail mix, and related healthy snack segments.
Also joining Snack It Forward to drive the growth of Sunkist Fruit 2.0 and Sunkist Blends is David Alvarez and Beryl Jacobson. Mr. Alvarez, joining Snack it Forward as Vice President of Sales, has a successful 30-year industry track record in driving sales growth. He worked most recently at Crunchies, where he was responsible for Major Client Accounts ranging from big box, grocery and natural food chains to drug and convenience stores. In addition, Mr. Alvarez’s background includes senior positions at Nestle Foods, Richardson Brands, Mission Foods, and Acosta Sales and Marketing. Mr. Jacobson, joining the Snack it Forward team as Creative and Digital Marketing Director, is an established expert in the field of digital marketing and social media. “This is a leap forward for us and we are so pleased to be adding all of this incredible talent and expertise to the team,” states Nick Desai.
“Sunkist, a long term and respected partner of Snack it Forward, is among the most recognized brand names in the U.S. and the world, and Sunkist fruit sets the quality and innovation standard. Delivering on that brand promise in delicious freeze-dried fruit and other premium better-for-you snacks is an opportunity I relish,” commented Mr. Lacey. “Together, as part of the Snack It Forward team and with my longtime colleague, channel distribution pro Dave Alvarez, we are going to grow the brand and the category with the most nutritious and premium quality ingredients, most deliciously satisfying flavors, and most consumer-friendly packaging on the market today – all part of our commitment to helping consumers embrace better-for-you snacking habits for life.”