Utz Brands, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, announced the appointment of William J. Kelley Jr. (Bill) as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer, effective May 1, 2025. He will succeed Ajay Kataria, who will step down as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer on May 1, 2025.
Mr. Kelley most recently served as Global Chief Financial Officer at Tropicana Brands Group, Inc. Upon joining Utz on May 1, 2025, he will work closely with Mr. Kataria to help ensure a seamless transition through May 31, 2025. Mr. Kelley will report to Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz.
“Bill brings deep financial expertise and operational experience across some of the most respected names in food and beverage. We are excited to welcome him to Utz as we continue executing on our long-term growth strategy,” said Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz, in a recent press release. “I want to extend our gratitude to Ajay for his leadership and impact over the past eight years, the last four as CFO — his contributions were many, including as part of our public listing in 2020, multiple acquisitions and integrations, as well as a major ERP installation; all were instrumental in building our financial foundation. We wish Ajay all the best.”
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Kelley said, “I have long admired the Utz brand and the tremendous momentum it has captured behind its geographic expansion. I’m thrilled to be joining the team at such an exciting time and look forward to partnering with Howard and the broader leadership team to drive continued growth and value for shareholders.”
“I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished during my time at Utz,” said Mr. Kataria. “It has been an honor to help grow and expand this great Company. I will be supporting the team during this transition period and look forward to all that is ahead for Utz.”
Chief Customer Officer Retirement / Appointment
Utz also announced that Mark Schreiber, Executive Vice President, Sales & Chief Customer Officer, will retire effective May 31, 2025, and will remain in a transition role through the end of June. He will be succeeded by Jeremy Stuart, currently Senior Vice President, Large Format.
Mr. Schreiber joined Utz in 2017 and held multiple leadership roles across both Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, Utz’s annual sales grew significantly, supported by successful acquisitions, distribution expansions, and brand integrations.
“Mark has been a true champion of the Utz brand and a driving force behind our commercial success. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement,” said Mr. Friedman.
“Jeremy’s deep understanding of the customer landscape and operational focus make him the ideal leader to build on Mark’s legacy and take our customer partnerships to the next level,” added Mr. Friedman.
Reaffirming Fiscal Year 2025 Outlook and Announcing Preliminary First Quarter 2025 Results
Utz also is reaffirming the 2025 fiscal year outlook it provided in connection with its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results on February 20, 2025, and is also announcing its preliminary first quarter 2025 results. The preliminary first quarter 2025 results are based upon the Company’s estimates, are subject to completion of the Company’s financial closing procedures and review by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and do not present all the information for a complete understanding of the Company’s financial condition as of the end of the first quarter of 2025 and its results of operations for the first fiscal quarter of 2025.
For the first quarter of 2025 ended March 31, 2025, the Company expects:
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