Hearthside Food Solutions Names Darlene Nicosia CEO

Hearthside Food Solutions has appointed Darlene Nicosia as its new CEO. She succeeds Chuck Metzger, who is leaving the post after nearly five years as part of a long-term succession plan.

Most recently, Nicosia served as president of Coca-Cola’s Canada & Northeast U.S. Zone. She brings more than three decades of food industry experience with roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft and PepsiCo. A seasoned supply chain and operations executive, she held leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company that spanned 29 years and included running the company’s global Commercial Product Supply organization and serving as its chief procurement officer.

Hearthside is a portfolio company of Charlesbank Capital Partners and Partners Group.

“We sought a senior executive with proven abilities to foster and deliver transformational change across an enterprise and are delighted to have found Darlene Nicosia to lead this organization,” said Charlesbank Managing Director John Flannery. “Her strong operational credentials, deep industry relationships and experience managing complex businesses in the food category will immediately benefit the business.”

Nicosia’s appointment comes at a crucial time in Hearthside’s growth. The company expanded during the Covid crisis and also added six additional bakeries in the past year. The demand for high-quality outsourced manufacturing has continued to grow, as have the exacting requirements of world-class brands. Hearthside believes that future growth belongs to firms that can form preferred partner relationships with leading brands, delivering superior performance and value.

“For me, it’s all about teams learning and growing together, achieving ever-greater levels of performance, deepening commitment to our customers and striving to be their preferred partner. With three decades at one of the world’s great consumer brands, I have seen what is possible when people, process, and purpose unite,” said Nicosia. “Hearthside’s organization and culture are poised for transformational performance and growth, and I look forward to leading the company on that valuable mission.”

Leading Hearthside will be a homecoming for Nicosia, who grew up in the Chicago area. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and holds an MSM from Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

Headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill., Hearthside Food Solutions is a leading contract manufacturer and producer of baked foods, snacks, nutrition bars, frozen, refrigerated, and fresh sandwiches/entrees, and a full-service provider of food packaging services for many of the world’s premier brands. The company is also the industry’s largest private bakery. Hearthside’s production network includes 43 facilities, including four in Europe, with a workforce of 12,000. In 2018 Hearthside was acquired by Charlesbank Capital Partners and Partners Group. For more information on Hearthside Food Solutions, please visit www.hearthsidefoods.com.

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