Matras joins Jelmar as Chief Growth Officer

Jelmar LLC has hired Shari Matras as its new Chief Growth Officer.

Matras will lead all sales, marketing, business development and product development programs on behalf of Jelmar. She will be based at the company's Skokie office and report directly to the CEO and President of Jelmar, Alison Gutterman.

Over the past two decades, Matras has held leadership roles at a number of global consumer companies including PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, the Wrigley Company and ConAgra Foods. She led Breakthrough Innovation in the Global Nutrition Group at PepsiCo, as well as served as Chief Operating Officer for an early stage food company in recent years.

Most recently, Shari built a new consulting business, BrandNext Partners, in partnership with former colleagues from PepsiCo and the Wrigley Company, working with large and small companies in CPG as well as other industries. Her work with BrandNext Partners focused on branding, strategy, and innovation, helping clients bring clarity to their brands, build strategic plans for future growth and develop innovation pipelines.

"Shari is not only a strategic marketer, but a true innovator," said Gutterman. "With her strong track record of success at several major companies, her expertise will be key in driving our brand growth as we continue to expand our product line. We're thrilled to have her join the Jelmar family."