Rita Hudetz joins Oishii as Chief Commerical Officer

Oishii has announced the appointment of consumer packaged goods veteran Rita Hudetz as Chief Commercial Officer to their executive leadership team.

In this role, Hudetz will lead "Oishii’s growth strategy, scaling the company’s retail footprint, overseeing new market entries, and driving product launches."

Prior to joining Oishii, Hudetz served as the General Manager of Milk Bar’s Grocery Division, where she expanded the company’s ice cream business, developed their new “Crunchies” cookies line and negotiated a partnership with General Mills to release a line of Milk Bar cookie doughs. She also served as the Chief Operating Officer of the innovative, size-inclusive fashion retailer Universal Standard, where she "radically evolved the company’s operations to accelerate revenue growth and support improved profitability." As the Chief Executive Officer of Hu Kitchen, Hudetz expanded the chocolate bar line to include Hunks, Gems and crackers, and helped to build national distribution and online platforms. Hudetz also led the company during a successful venture investment from the Mondelez “Snack Futures” division in 2019. Prior to Hu, Hudetz spent five years at PepsiCo where she was promoted to Director of Strategy in PepsiCo’s Global Nutrition group.

“As an operator and strategist, Rita’s accomplishments are unparalleled. We are so glad to have her on our team during a major inflection point for Oishii’s brand,” said Brendan Somerville, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Oishii. “We’re growing quickly in a time when others are slowing. Rita’s expertise will help us bring our delicious, clean strawberries to consumers nationwide.

“Mission matters to me – and the team at Oishii has demonstrated how committed they are to disrupting the agriculture industry with a superior, pesticide-free product that consumers love," Hudetz says. "“I was sold on Oishii after I watched my two daughters choose the delicious berries over candy. As a mom, I’m proud to be working on a product that I feel will pave the way for the future of food. I am honored to officially be part of the team as we enter a major period of accelerated growth and as our technology continues to perform.”