What is in this article?:
- Gary Hirshberg steps down as CEO of Stonyfield
- Organic community retains a champion
Stonyfield's "CE-Yo" and president today announced in a blog that he will resign from his current positions, but remain actively involved with the company as its chairman.
After nearly three decades as the "CE-Yo" and president of Stonyfield, Gary Hirshberg announced today on Stonyfield's blog that he is stepping down from the role on Jan. 23. Hirshberg will continue to serve as Stonyfield's chairman. Replacing Hirshberg is Walt Freese, former CEO of Ben & Jerry's and former president of Celestial Seasonings.
"I'm excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Gary and the Stonyfield team to further the Stonyfield organic and sustainability mission and expand the market for Stonyfield's unrivaled products," said Freese. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Hirshberg has led the company since 1983 and took the organization from a fledgling organic farming school to the world's leading organic yogurt company with $360 million in annual sales. In a blog announcement today, titled "Stonyfield's Best Adventures Lie Ahead," Hirshberg writes: "Stonyfield is like a child to me, in fact [my wife] Meg and I joked the other night that it is our first-born offspring."
