- ACI +0.08%
You can find original article here Nrn. Subscribe to our free daily Nrn newsletters.
GoTo Foods — parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, and more — has announced the appointment of Omer Gajial as the new CEO of the portfolio company, effective immediately. Gajial succeeds Jim Holthouser, who has retired from the company after nearly six years of serving as CEO.
Before joining GoTo Foods, Gajial accumulated nearly two decades of experience in retail leadership, most recently serving as chief merchandising and digital officer for grocery store chain Albertsons. At Albertsons, Gajial led initiatives in merchandising, digital strategy, marketing, loyalty and retail media for the company’s grocery portfolio of more than 2,000 locations.
“I am thrilled to join GoTo Foods and lead this incredible family of brands into its next chapter of growth,” Gajial said in a statement. “These brands have a rich legacy of delighting customers worldwide, and I look forward to working alongside our talented team and franchisees to build on that success. Together, we will continue to focus on product innovation, enhancing the guest experiences, scaling efficiencies and driving franchise profitability.”
In addition to his career at Albertsons, Gajial also held leadership positions at Amazon, where he managed category development and marketplace operations for North America; and PepsiCo, where he directed strategy and marketing for multiple global markets including the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and North America.
Holthouser announced his retirement in a post on LinkedIn:
“We’ve transformed so much together—digitally, operationally, culturally—and we did it not by outspending our competitors, but by outhustling and outthinking them,” his Dec. 1 post said. “To the new CEO stepping in, I wish you and the entire team every success. This place is full of extraordinary people. Take good care of them, and they’ll take good care of the business.”
Contact Joanna at [email protected]
Terms and Privacy Policy Privacy Dashboard More Info
