Plated Announces Two Additions To Leadership Team And Welcomes New Board Member
Premium Meal Kit Service Names Chief Data Science Officer and Chief People Officer
NEW YORK, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Plated, the premium meal kit service that delivers everything you need to create the personal dinner experiences you crave, announced today two additions to its leadership team and a new board member. Haftan Eckholdt has been appointed Chief Data Science Officer and Adrienne Gemperle has been named Chief People Officer, effective immediately. They both join Plated from multinational consumer companies, Amazon and Starbucks, respectively. Cathy Graham, CFO of 2U, Inc., an education technology company that partners with great colleges and universities to build what it believes is the world's best online education, has joined Plated's Board of Directors.
"I'm delighted to welcome Haftan, Adrienne, and Cathy to Plated. Singularly talented experts in their fields, they each have tremendous experience with proven track records of success," said Josh Hix, Co-founder and CEO of Plated.
Haftan Eckholdt joins Plated from Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon where he was Senior Vice President of Data Science. His team built out new approaches to a deeper understanding of the customer, enabling more personalized communications, and new approaches to a deeper understanding of content, providing greater enjoyment of stories and voices. Haftan's previous industrial positions include building research teams as Senior Director in Science at AIG. His early work in computational biology began with faculty appointments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he later directed the Biometry Core at the Kennedy Center for Human Development. Eckholdt holds graduate degrees in Developmental Psychology and Biostatistics from Cornell and Columbia Universities.
"Haftan's remarkable depth of knowledge in data engineering, data analytics and data modeling will be an incredible asset to Plated as we continue to focus on creating personalized experiences that delight our customers and evolve with their changing preferences," continued Hix.
Adrienne Gemperle was most recently the Senior Vice President, Partner Resources at Starbucks Coffee Company where she was responsible for its human resources strategy and execution, overseeing a team of HR professionals serving over 125,000 partners at 7,500 stores. Through her leadership, Gemperle enabled positive engagement and cultivated the mission-driven culture needed to deliver world-class customer experiences. Gemperle spent more than nine years in senior human resources roles at Starbucks. Gemperle also held the Chief People Officer position at Restaurants Unlimited, Inc. She graduated from Washington State University and has a Masters of Science from Antioch University.
"A passionate leader and strategic thinker, Adrienne has a keen understanding of the power brands can have to connect with people," said Hix. "Her background at Starbucks, a company known for best-in-class hospitality, will translate well to the culture here at Plated, which is rooted in delivering great service and lifestyle experiences."
Cathy Graham joined 2U, Inc. in 2012 to mature its financial reporting, forecasting and controls capabilities and to drive the next steps in its capital structure. Cathy brings over 25 years' experience in senior financial roles, largely in technology and technology-enabled companies. Her experience includes leading four successful IPOs (including 2U's), raising over $150 million in private equity and closing numerous strategic acquisitions and organizational sales. Prior to joining 2U, she was CFO for Online Resources Corporation, a Nasdaq-traded $150 million financial technology company, and VIA NET.WORKS, Inc., a Nasdaq-traded $100 million international internet services and web-hosting provider. She was named Public Company CFO of the Year by the Northern Virginia Technology Council in 2015 and holds an M.B.A. from Loyola University Maryland.
"Cathy has a remarkable combination of financial expertise and tech-based business leadership experience. I look forward to the many strategic insights and contributions she'll bring to Plated as part of our distinguished board," said Hix.
Launched in 2012, Plated is the premium meal-kit service that empowers people to create the personal dinner experiences they crave by offering unparalleled choice, flexibility, convenience, and taste. Plated delivers distinctive recipes, crafted by an expert culinary team led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Elana Karp, along with fresh, pre-portioned ingredients so you can cook, share, and enjoy delicious meals with ease. Plated has redefined what it means to connect over a memorable meal at home.
Earlier this year, Plated expanded its product offerings to enhance the customer experience. Plated debuted an Android app to complement its existing iOS app. Plated also increased its meal serving size options in February to offer at least 11 dinner choices each week in 2, 3, and 4 serving sizes.
Contact: Liz Marsh / [email protected]
SOURCE Plated
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