Imperfect Foods adds three new leaders to team

Imperfect Foods, the online grocer that is aiming to curb food waste, has announced three new additions to the company’s leadership.

Imperfect Foods has hired Corey Farrell as chief operating officer, Kelly Nigh as chief merchandising officer, and Hetu Patel as chief financial officer. All three are ex-Amazon leaders. 

The company said “their appointments further establish the Certified B Corporation's growth and trajectory as a leader in the sustainable grocery movement.” All of Imperfect Foods’ products, including its own brands, are made from ingredients that are deemed unfit for grocery store shelves, and would otherwise be wasted. 

Founded in 2015, the company works with farmers and producers to rescue and redistribute food items, and deliver produce, pantry items, dairy, meat and more. To date, Imperfect Foods has rescued more than 150 million pounds of food from being wasted.

"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. 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." 

Farrell joins Imperfect Foods after 15 years at Amazon, where he served in several roles, first supporting business units as a finance leader and more recently, running multi-billion dollar businesses within the consumables and grocery segment. 

Another Amazon alum, Nigh joins Imperfect Foods after 11 years at the company, where she led various merchandising product, sourcing, and technology teams across its retail and operations organizations. As chief merchandising officer, she will focus on partnering with Imperfect Foods' network of suppliers to build an assortment of products, including private label lines, with a focus on reducing food waste.

Patel officially joins Imperfect Foods as chief financial officer on April 18, bringing more than 10 years of experience at Amazon to his new role, having previously held positions including finance director for Amazon Advertising and for its Prime membership. Hetu was also integral in managing one of Amazon's private brands divisions.