KeHE EVP Leonard to Transition to New ‘Ambassador’ Role

KeHE EVP Greg Leonard will step aside from his full-time executive role at the natural and specialty foods distributor, effective April 30, 2014, but will remain with the company, according to President and CEO Brandon Barnholt.

“Greg will not be leaving KeHE entirely,” said Barnholt. “He will be transitioning to an ‘ambassador’ role where he will represent both KeHE and the natural products industry. Greg has made this company and this industry his life’s work. He is a true visionary whose energy and knowledge have been a driving force in making KeHE what it is today and have allowed him to significantly impact our industry as a whole. Greg will be a great Ambassador for our company and advisor to me and other senior leaders for years to come.”

Leonard confirmed: “I certainly do not intend to leave KeHE entirely, as I am much too invested in the goal of seeing this company become a truly iconic distributor of Natural, Specialty and Fresh products to retailers nationally. Nor do I plan to leave the natural and specialty products industry. I have spent 40 years in this business and love it, and I’m just not the retiring type.”

Leonard, a 40-year veteran of the natural products industry, began his career at Tree of Life in 1974 and until 1986 was responsible for the company’s purchasing activity, including bulk foods. In the mid-1980s, he transitioned from purchasing into a number of marketing roles, including VP of merchandising, where he supervised the development and marketing of Tree of Life’s company-owned natural and organic brands. Currently, he is KeHE’s EVP for independent sales, responsible for KeHE’s national sales and account support activities in the independent conventional and independent natural channels.

Romeoville, Ill.-based KeHE Distributors provides natural, organic, specialty, gourmet, international, multicultural and fresh products to more than 35,000 retail outlets throughout North America.