True Search Recruits CEO for Imperfect Foods

The Haddonfield, NJ-based search firm delivered a top leader in Dan Park, who has a decades-long history of building and leading teams at multi-billion dollar retail and technology businesses. He joins Imperfect Foods from BuildDirect Technologies, a Canadian-based online marketplace for building materials, where he was CEO. Let’s go inside the search.

January 26, 2022 – Executive recruiting firm True Search has assisted in the recruitment of Dan Park as the new chief executive officer of Imperfect Foods, a sustainability-minded online grocer. Todd Zangrillo and Kristin Godfrey, co-leaders of the firm’s consumer practice, led the assignment along with senior associate James Rigano. “Dan is a perfect fit for the Imperfect Foods CEO role,” said Mr. Zangrillo. “This role requires a deep understanding of e-commerce, as well as the analytical ability to optimize a very complex supply chain to drive superior unit economics in the food delivery space. But one thing that is unique here is the company’s commitment to the mission of reducing food waste.”

This is not lip service at Imperfect Foods, as evidenced by its recent B corp designation, he said. “It is critical for the CEO to not only understand the mission but also bring it all together by translating it into a compelling value proposition for customers, ensure the company executes on that value proposition, and deliver the expected financial results for Imperfect Foods’ investors. Dan understands how to balance all of this.”

“The perfect Imperfect CEO needs world-class E-commerce skills, deep operations experience and a commitment to the brand’s mission,” said Adam Berger, Imperfect Foods’ board chair and Insight Partners’ managing director. “I first met Dan a year ago and we have gotten to know each other. The role and timing lined up perfectly and I’m thrilled to have him lead Imperfect Foods.”

Mr. Park brings nearly three decades of experience building and leading teams at top-tier multi-billion-dollar retail and technology companies. He joins Imperfect Foods after four years at BuildDirect Technologies, a Canadian-based online marketplace for building materials, where he was CEO, took the company public and remains a board member. His three-decade career also includes stints at Amazon and Target. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and later went on to receive an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Founded in 2015 with the mission of eliminating the 35 percent of food that ends up wasted in the U.S. each year and building a better food system, Imperfect Foods began by sourcing ugly and surplus produce that didn’t meet conventional grocery store standards, delivering it directly to customers’ doors. Since its founding, Imperfect Foods has saved over 150 million pounds of food from lesser outcomes and expanded its offerings into a suite of grocery products.

“Imperfect Foods is changing the face of grocery delivery, and I’m excited to be an integral part of this next chapter of the business,” said Mr. Park. “We will focus on continually raising the bar of our customer experience while meeting our sustainability goals. There are certain aspects of the future that I’m concerned about, and as a part of the Imperfect Foods team, I look forward to playing an active role in improving our environment by being a good steward of our planet.”

Serving the Private and Public Sectors

Working in both the private and public sectors, True Search has offices throughout the U.S. as well as the EMEA and APAC regions. Since the late 1990s, the firm’s founders have refined their search process with a blend of data-centric insights, relationship-building, and experience to produce a methodology that consistently improves hiring decisions and accelerates growth. Its clients include Jet, Work Front and Summit Partners. True Search is a subsidiary of True Platform, a global portfolio of human capital services and products for high-growth tech and tech-enabled organizations. True recently placed No. 7 on the Hunt Scanlon Media “Top 50 Recruiters” ranking.

Related: True Search Recruits New CFO for PE-Backed MikMak

A tech growth-company builder for more than 20 years, Mr. Zangrillo co-leads the firm’s consumer practice. He conducts a range of CxO searches for True clients across a broad number of sectors. The Consumer team’s breadth of knowledge and expertise within consumer internet, beauty, retail & fashion, food, travel and hospitality and digital media and entertainment provides the ideal multi-faceted approach. Prior to joining True, he served as the human resources business partner with eBay’s e-commerce technology organization.


Hobbs & Towne Assists Impossible Foods in Recruiting Chief Scientific Officer

Hobbs & Towne, which was recently acquired by True, assisted in the placement of Vanderbilt University biochemistry department chair John D. York as chief science officer at Impossible Foods. CEO Andy Towne led the assignment along with partner Ryan Houder for the search firm. Dr. York, a former investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has led the biochemistry department at Vanderbilt University since 2012. His team paved the way for discoveries in protein structure and function, cell signaling and molecular genetics. Dr. York’s team helped discover how cells enhance signaling specificity through generation of diverse chemical messengers. Read more.


As co-head of the consumer practice, Ms. Godfrey leads board and C-suite searches across the consumer sector with a specialization in marketing and CEO/COO roles.  She partners with high-growth businesses at all stages, from series A start-ups through publicly traded companies. Prior to joining True, Ms. Godfrey was VP of talent and human resources at Thrive Market.

Mr. Rigano works from True’s New York office. He focuses on CEO, COO, supply chain and marketing searches in the consumer practice. Prior to True, Mr. Rigano worked in public accounting and luxury retail.

Recent Search

Mr. Zangrillo recently led the president search for CrossFit with the recruitment of Jason Dunlop as president. “Jason is a perfect fit for the CrossFit president role,” said Mr. Zangrillo. “He brings a high growth and entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with true global experience in leading and managing omni-channel and franchise businesses at scale. He’s completely connected to the mission and loves building community,” he said. “He is a consumer-centric leader with a proven track record and authentic passion for building and leading diverse, high performing teams and creating an inclusive and dynamic team environment.”

As the executive responsible for Nike’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Mr. Dunlop directed Nike store growth and digital expansion by focusing on consumers and his team, helping position Nike as the leading sports brand across the region. “Jason’s expertise leading the hypergrowth of some of the world’s leading brands across Europe, the Middle East and Africa will be a powerful driver for achieving CrossFit’s mission,” said Eric Roza, CEO of CrossFit.

Related: True Search Recruits New CFO for PE-Backed MikMak

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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