Cornerstone International Group Fills Senior Position for Dawn Foods
February 19, 2026 – Cornerstone International Group has recently placed Kristi Kangas as senior vice president of North America manufacturing operations for Dawn Foods, a global leader in bakery manufacturing and distribution. Samuel Dergel led the search. “Kristi is a proven manufacturing leader with a track record of driving operational excellence in complex, multi-site environments,” said John Schmitz, chief operating officer, Americas. “Her depth of experience in food manufacturing, her hands-on leadership style, and her passion for building strong teams make her an outstanding addition to Dawn’s North America leadership team.”
Ms. Kangas brings more than 25 years of operations and manufacturing leadership experience across the food and agriculture industries, with deep expertise in multi-plant operations, supply chain optimization, capital planning, and large-scale transformation. She joins Dawn from Griffith Foods, where she served as vice president of manufacturing & supply chain, North America, leading more than 1,400 employees across five facilities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Previously, Ms. Kangas held senior executive roles including chief operating officer at Darigold, president and COO at Readington Farms, and senior manufacturing leadership positions at Land O’Lakes, Cargill, Frito-Lay, and Kraft Foods. Across her career, she has led complex manufacturing environments, driven operational excellence initiatives, and guided organizations through periods of significant change while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, and team member engagement.
In her new role at Dawn, Ms. Kangas will shape and execute the long-term strategy for North America manufacturing operations, with a focus on automation, standardization, continuous improvement, and cost-effective growth aligned with Dawn’s broader commercial priorities. She will lead Dawn’s North America manufacturing network, overseeing approximately 1,000 team members across four manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, with responsibility for quality, safety, engineering, and continuous improvement.
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Ms. Kangas said she was drawn to Dawn by its family-owned heritage, strong values, and people-first culture. “I’m a manufacturing junkie at heart, and Dawn offers a unique opportunity to focus deeply on operations while making a meaningful impact,” she said. “The combination of a family-owned, multi-generation company with a global footprint and strong North America presence really resonated with me. I was inspired by the people I met during the interview process and excited by the opportunity to both strengthen what’s already working well and help move the organization forward strategically.”
Global Search Provider
Cornerstone International Group provides executive search and leadership development services to global roster of clients. Both before (with psychometric assessment) and after (onboarding) its search process, the firm looks to ensure the highest possible chance of success in filling talent needs, the firm said. Cornerstone has 66 experienced member firms in both developed and emerging markets worldwide.
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Mr. Dergel is the founder and principal of DERGEL Executive Search, a search firm that serves clients throughout the United States and Canada. He is an accomplished consultant, executive recruiter, executive coach, and corporate trainer who has earned a well-deserved reputation for excellence in his field. With over 22 years of experience in executive search and consulting, Mr. Dergel has established himself as a leader in the recruiting industry. Before entering the world of executive search, he gained valuable experience in audit and advisory services with Ernst & Young and held financial leadership positions in both the manufacturing and technology sectors.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
