Dawn Foods recently announced that it tapped John Schmitz to be its new President of North America. With over 25 years of leadership experience, Schmitz has a track record of building high-performing teams. He will join Dawn Foods January 6, 2020, and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Carrie Jones-Barber.
"Dawn Foods has a tremendous legacy and an even brighter future ahead," said Schmitz. "We have the right ingredients in place to continue to innovate and lay a strong foundation for the company's next 100 years. I am eager to roll up my sleeves, dig in with the rest of the Dawn team, and evolve our business model to ensure we are best positioned to serve our customers and the industry for years to come."
According to a press release, Schmitz will play a crucial role in ensuring the company's people, products, and investments deliver long-term growth and advance Dawn's forward-looking strategy. In his new role with Dawn Foods, Schmitz will prioritize the way the company interacts with, engages, and meets its customers' evolving needs. He will work hand-in-hand with Dawn's digital innovation team in Boston to ensure it provides the right end-to-end experience to support its customers' business demands and long-term growth.
"As we approach our 100th anniversary, our people continue to remain at the forefront of our success," said Jones-Barber. "John—a proven leader known for organizing his teams around a shared vision—will be an instrumental addition to our executive team. His energy and passion for problem solving, combined with his commitment to customer success, will be critical to unlocking the fresh, innovative thinking required to deliver our vision of Inspiring Bakery Success Every Day."
Schmitz joins Dawn after more than 12 years at Land O'Lakes, where he served as Vice President for International. During his tenure, Schmitz helped establish the company as a global enterprise with business operations in Canada, Mexico, South Africa, and Kenya. Throughout his career, Schmitz has worked across myriad industries, including consumer packaged goods, global agribusiness, foodservice, and industrial products.
Congratulations to John on this new role!
