Blue Apron Adds Gary Hirshberg and Tracy Britt Cool to Board of Directors
NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Apron announced today the appointments of Gary Hirshberg, Chairman and co-founder of Stonyfield Farm, and Tracy Britt Cool, Chief Executive Officer of Pampered Chef, a Berkshire Hathaway company, to its board of directors.
"Gary and Tracy both have a thorough understanding of our opportunity to build a better food system, and their counsel and oversight will be invaluable as we continue to grow," said Matt Salzberg, co-founder and CEO of Blue Apron. "Gary is a pioneer in environmental sustainability and organic agriculture and will provide critical strategic guidance as we continue to develop our farm sourcing and innovation programs and implement initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint. Tracy has a track record advising companies on how to scale effectively and achieve their maximum potential, and her business, consumer product and e-commerce expertise will be a tremendous asset for us."
In 1983, Hirshberg co-founded Stonyfield Farm, one of the world's leading organic yogurt producers, and served as the company's CEO for 28 years. Under Hirshberg's leadership, Stonyfield Farm grew from a seven-cow organic farming school to a company with $370 million in annual sales. Hirshberg has received twelve honorary doctorates for corporate and environmental leadership.
"After 33 years of leading and growing Stonyfield Farm, I want to dedicate my time to other exciting and emerging companies that are closing the gap between consumers and the source of their food," Hirshberg said. "I've been a Blue Apron customer for some time and have been deeply impressed. Because of the company's direct relationships with customers, I truly believe that Blue Apron has a unique opportunity to engage and educate people about the importance of how their food is grown and have a meaningful impact on today's food system."
In 2009, Cool joined Berkshire Hathaway as the Financial Assistant to the Chairman, where she conducted investment research, analyzed acquisition opportunities, and advised Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries in various industries. In 2014, she was appointed CEO of Berkshire-owned Pampered Chef, a provider of high-quality cooking tools exclusively distributed through a network of independent cooking consultants. Cool also serves as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway companies Benjamin Moore, Larson-Juhl, and Oriental Trading Company, and is a board member of the Kraft Heinz Company.
"Having grown up working on my family's farm in Kansas, I have a deep appreciation of the positive impact Blue Apron's business model can have on the way food is grown and distributed," Cool stated. "I'm excited about the opportunity to help grow another business that is focused on bringing families together in the kitchen and at the dinner table."
About Blue Apron, LLC
Launched in 2012, Blue Apron makes incredible home cooking accessible to everyone by delivering original recipes and fresh ingredients to customers nationwide. Our vision is to build a better food system, which we work towards every day by partnering directly with farmers and suppliers to grow higher quality ingredients, by creating a sourcing and distribution system that delivers ingredients at a better value, and by investing in the things that matter most—our environment and our communities. Learn more about our vision and our products at www.blueapron.com.
For additional information, contact:
Louise Ward
Blue Apron
[email protected]
SOURCE Blue Apron
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