JM Search Recruits CEO for Starwest Botanicals
May 20, 2024 – JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, recently placed Brian Jansen as the new CEO of Starwest Botanicals, Inc. Alissa Moody, Kristian Shannon, and Phil Menzel led the assignment. “We are excited to share the placement of Brian Jansen as CEO of Starwest Botanicals,” said JM Search in a LinkedIn post. “Starwest is a premier provider of organic herbs and bulk ingredients nationally. Brian joins the Starwest team from BellRock Brands where he served as President and CEO. Brian has a deep operations background with tenure at food and beverage organizations such as The Hain Celestial Group, Bimbo Bakeries, and PepsiCo. We look forward to seeing Starwest and Brian’s continued success.”
Mr. Jansen is an experienced consumer packaged goods executive with a proven track record of leading in highly competitive and regulated environments. Leadership experience includes CEO, president, and chief operating officer. Mr. Jansen is action orientated while maintaining the ability to bring others along, gain consensus, and develop teams. He has a passion for building brands through memorable consumer experiences, quality and product innovation.
Most recently, Mr. Jansen was president and CEO of BellRock Brands. Before that, he was head of operations, supply chain and global sourcing – tea at the Hain Celestial Group. During his career, he also held senior positions with Grupo Bimbo and PepsiCo.
Starwest Botanicals is a leading source for organic herbs and bulk ingredients in the United States. With an extensive inventory boasting over one million pounds of herbs and spices, housed in our state-of-the-art warehouse and production facilities, they partner with renowned brands, retailers, wholesalers, and distributors nationwide.
An Advisor to CEOs, Investors, and Boards
JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors, and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing, and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. Its clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search recruiting team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise, and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.
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Ms. Moody is a partner at JM Search where she leads the firm’s industrial and industrial technology practice, working across segments such as additive manufacturing, industrial IoT, electronics, robotics, semiconductor, and industrial products with hardware and software elements. She builds C-suite and leadership teams in both decentralized industrial conglomerates, such as ITW, and lower to middle market private equity backed manufacturing businesses. Ms. Moody focuses on identifying high-caliber talent with the DNA to drive growth in fast-paced environments. She is particularly passionate about promoting female leadership within the industrial sector.
Transforming Portfolio Companies and Driving Value Creation via Human Capital
At the beginning of last year, Gartner predicted a 20 percent rise in turnover rate across industries. Heightened inflation, rising interest rates, post-pandemic priority shifts, and hybrid work preferences have created a fierce scrimmage for companies worldwide trying to hire the people necessary to drive long-term profits.
These challenges are compounded for private equity firms with numerous portfolio companies, according to a report from JM Search’s Trista McCarthy. “Aside from achieving sustainable growth, your team is tasked with ensuring that each company in your portfolio can hire and retain talent for everything from line-level openings to vacancies in the boardroom and C-suite,” said the study. “Because at the end of the day, a healthy EBITDA and proper valuation are only possible with the right people in critical positions.”
Mr. Shannon is a principal with JM Search and a member of the firm’s consumer practice. He brings over 25 years of experience in talent acquisition, executive recruitment and human resource leadership. Mr. Shannon specializes in placing executives in the durable goods and food & beverage industries. Having worked with smaller private and private equity-backed companies, to multi-billion-dollar public organizations, he has leveraged his past experience and HR background to place executives and their direct reports.
Mr. Menzel is a partner at JM Search and practice leader for the firm’s consumer practice. Since joining JM Search in 2015, he has been focused on recruiting executives across the food and beverage consumer industries. Based in Chicago, Mr. Menzel has built a growing and vibrant national practice with clients including large public, private and private equity owned food companies including: Rich Products, Reyes Holdings, US Foods, Pepsico, Shore Capital and Tilia Holdings.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
