Ocean Spray Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

CPG Finance Veteran Kristin Forney joins Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. today announced that Kristin Forney has joined the farmer-owned cooperative as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective February 27, 2023.  Forney joins Ocean Spray from Hain Celestial Group where she served as Senior Vice President, Finance, for their North America Division. A daughter of farmers and a food industry veteran, she comes to Ocean Spray with a background in finance, revenue growth, accounting, procurement, and transformation.

"What immediately stands out with Kris is her passion for driving long-term growth—a true farmer's mindset in problem solving, innovating, and collaborating. She is a deeply experienced CPG executive, but more importantly, a leader who recognizes that a successful finance team is one that partners across all aspects of our cooperative with a shared goal to generate strong fiscal results," noted Tom Hayes, President and CEO.

Forney will lead Ocean Spray's financial planning and analysis, corporate controller, corporate development, procurement, and transformation teams.  She will report directly to Hayes. 

"Having been raised on a farm in Nebraska, I immediately connected with the purpose of this historic agricultural cooperative—connecting our farms to families for a better life. Tom, his senior leadership, and the entire finance team have created an incredibly strong foundation for growth. I look forward to further strengthening and shaping that prosperous future at Ocean Spray," said Forney. "I am thrilled to join Ocean Spray at such a pivotal moment in their history, and truly humbled by the opportunity to work for and with Ocean Spray's farmer-owners. To deliver strong financial results means we're doing right by their small family farms."

Forney comes to Ocean Spray with more than 28 years of financial executive experience. With Hain Celestial Group, she led a finance organization supporting a $1.6 billion revenue organic and natural products business. Forney's leadership was integral in transforming the North America business into a strong operating company while building finance capabilities to position the business for growth.  In addition to Hain, Forney served in finance and revenue growth management leadership roles across multiple businesses at ConAgra Brands over the course of 15 years.  Earlier in her career, she spent nearly 5 years in public accounting with Grant Thornton.

Forney earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Hastings College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

ABOUT OCEAN SPRAY

In 1930, Ocean Spray was founded by three maverick farmers – bonded by bold cranberry love. Since then, we've grown into a vibrant global agricultural cooperative, built on the strength of roughly 700 farmer families in the United States, Canada, and Chile. Together, we've worked to preserve the family farming way of life for nearly 100 years, and for generations to come. Today, our cranberries show up in more than a thousand deliciously nourishing products in over 100 countries worldwide. United by passion and purpose, Ocean Spray is committed to trailblazing the power of the mighty cranberry through its offbeat taste and uncanny nutrition to feed happier lives for all. Born Tart. Raised Bold.™

Press Contact: Kate Leonard  
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SOURCE Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.