Rip Van Names Former Hershey U.S. President Todd Tillemans Chief Executive Officer

Seasoned CPG executive joins Rip Van to accelerate innovation and expand the
brand's growing national retail footprint

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rip Van, the fast-growing better-for-you sweet snacks brand, today announced the appointment of former Hershey U.S. President Todd Tillemans as CEO, as the company surpasses $100 million in retail sales and accelerates major national expansion.

Tillemans succeeds Co-founder and CEO Rip Pruisken, who will remain actively involved in the business alongside his Board responsibilities. Pruisken will continue to champion the company's vision and support innovation and fundraising. Co-founder Marco De Leon will continue as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board.

Tillemans brings decades of consumer-packaged goods experience to his new role at Rip Van, having cultivated deep consumer branding capabilities at Perdue Farms, The Hershey Company, Unilever and General Mills. His brand portfolio included many iconic consumer brands such as Reese's, Kit Kat, Dove and Axe personal care, Cheerios, and Bisquick. He joins Rip Van at a pivotal stage of growth as the company surpasses $100 million in retail sales and completes its largest retail expansion to date, adding nearly 1,800 new doors across Albertsons, Walmart, BJ's and Wawa.

"What drew me to Rip Van is the rare combination of a genuinely differentiated product, a rapidly growing consumer following and a massive category ripe for disruption," said Todd Tillemans, Chief Executive Officer of Rip Van. "I am excited by the opportunity to accelerate this purpose-driven insurgent brand and enhance enterprise value by delivering beloved products, deepening customer partnerships, building leading-edge commercial capabilities and developing world-class talent."

"Todd has a purpose-driven and values-led approach that is aligned with the Rip Van culture and mission," said Rip Pruisken, Co-Founder of Rip Van. "He brings the brand-building and commercial excellence capabilities necessary to help evolve Rip Van into a household name. We are thrilled to have Todd lead our company."

"We are crafting a powerful consumer brand and have tremendous potential to expand our portfolio and grow profitably with the experience and operating discipline that Todd brings," said Marco De Leon, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of Rip Van.

Founded by Rip Pruisken and Marco De Leon, Rip Van was built on a simple principle: people shouldn't have to choose between taste and nutrition. Through its proprietary, fiber-forward formulation, Rip Van delivers familiar, indulgent snacks with 50 to 80% less sugar and more fiber than leading conventional alternatives. 

As CEO, Tillemans will build on Rip Van's legacy of innovation in serving consumers with delicious, better-for-you snacks and investing in the brand as it reaches more consumers and customers nationwide.

For more information, visit https://www.ripvan.com/ 

ABOUT RIP VAN

Founded by Rip Pruisken and Marco De Leon, Rip Van is the fast-growing better-for-you sweet snacks brand that is redefining the category. The company spent seven years developing a proprietary platform that starts with prebiotic fiber — not sugar — to create familiar sweet snacks with less sugar, added fiber and the taste and texture consumers expect. What began with its signature stroopwafel has become a platform for continued innovation across formats, with a growing portfolio spanning Wafels, Wafers, Crispy Dunes, Crispy Choco and Nutty Crunch. Now available in more than 26,000 retail doors nationwide, Rip Van continues to expand its portfolio and retail footprint as it builds a new model for sweet snacking.

SOURCE Rip Van