3 Ex-Amazon Employees Join Imperfect Foods' Leadership Restructure
Online grocer Imperfect Foods, a 2021 RIS Hot Retail Startup, is shaking up its core leadership.
The company has announced it is hiring three ex-Amazon leaders to take the helm as chief operating officer, chief merchandising officer, and chief financial officer.
Corey Farrell
Farrell has been named chief operating officer. He spent fifteen years at Amazon, where he supported business units as a finance leader and more recently ran multi-billion-dollar businesses within the consumables and grocery space. Farrell’s experience spans e-commerce merchandising, supply chain, and customer care.
Kelly Nigh
Nigh has been named chief merchandising officer. She joins Imperfect Foods after eleven years at Amazon, where she managed several merchandising product, sourcing, and technology teams across retail and operations segments. Nigh has experience with scaling rapidly growing businesses and building best-in-class customer experiences, according to Imperfect Foods. As chief merchandising officer, she will focus on partnering with the company’s suppliers to build an assortment of products with a focus on reducing food waste, including a private label line.
Hetu Patel
Patel will take on the role of chief financial officer starting on April 18. He brings more than a decade of experience at Amazon, previously working as its finance director, working in advertising, and also for its Prime membership. Hetu held a key role in managing one of Amazon's private brands divisions. With a background in e-commerce and subscription services, Patel will be focusing on Imperfect Foods' growth.
"Hetu, Corey, and Kelly each have exceptional backgrounds in rapidly scaling e-commerce businesses," said Dan Park, Imperfect Foods’ CEO.
"Combined, that expertise will allow us to grow the business, while simultaneously improving the customer experience and deepening our commitment to reducing food waste,” Park added. “By bringing in new best-in-class talent, we're able to continue on our mission in a meaningful and reinvigorated way, further optimizing our internal operations and optimizing the customer experience."
[Read more: New Amazon Fresh Brings Just Walk Out Technology to Virginia]
The latest hiring moves are a continuation of an executive-level shift that began in 2022. In January, the company’s CEO, Philip Behn, was reportedly pushed out by the board in June 2021.
Dan Park now leads the company. His previous roles also include a stint at Amazon, managing its B2B and consumer electronics business, as well as time at Target, focusing on sourcing.
"The perfect Imperfect CEO needs world-class e-commerce skills, deep operations experience, and a commitment to the brand's mission," said Adam Berger, Imperfect Foods' board chair at the time of the announcement. "I first met Dan a year ago and we have gotten to know each other. The role and timing lined up perfectly and I'm thrilled to have him lead Imperfect Foods."
Founded in 2015, Imperfect Foods works directly with farmers and producers to rescue, redistribute, and develop goods across multiple grocery categories, including its own private label offerings. It began by sourcing ugly and surplus produce that didn't meet conventional grocery store standards, and delivering it directly to consumers’ doors.
In 2021, the company announced it became a Certified B Corporation, with goals to be environmentally conscious and to increase food access through its Reduced Cost Box Program. The company has pledged to become a net-zero carbon company by 2030. Imperfect Foods stated that the new appointments “further establish the Certified B Corporation's growth and trajectory as a leader in the sustainable grocery movement."
This article first appeared on the site of sister publication RIS News.
