Utz names executive leaders, teams with Alex’s Lemonade to fight childhood cancer

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Utz Brands, Inc. recently announced the appointment of William J. Kelley Jr. as executive vice president, chief financial officer and principal accounting officer, effective May 1. 

Kelley succeeds Ajay Kataria, who will step down as executive vice president, chief financial officer and principal accounting officer on May 1, the Hanover-based company announced. 

“Bill brings deep financial expertise and operational experience across some of the most respected names in food and beverage,” Howard Friedman, chief executive officer of Utz said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome him to Utz as we continue executing on our long-term growth strategy. 

“I want to extend our gratitude to Ajay for his leadership and impact over the past eight years, the last four as CFO — his contributions were many, including as part of our public listing in 2020, multiple acquisitions and integrations, as well as a major ERP installation; all were instrumental in building our financial foundation. We wish Ajay all the best,” added Friedman. 

Kelley most recently served as Tropicana Brands Group, Inc.’s Global Chief Financial Officer. Kelley will work with Kataria through May 31 and will report to Friedman. 

“I have long admired the Utz brand and the tremendous momentum it has captured behind its geographic expansion,” said Kelley. “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at such an exciting time and look forward to partnering with Howard and the broader leadership team to drive continued growth and value for shareholders.” 

Said Kataria, “I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished during my time at Utz. It has been an honor to help grow and expand this great Company. I will be supporting the team during this transition period and look forward to all that is ahead for Utz.” 

In addition, Utz announced that Mark Schreiber, executive vice president, sales & chief customer officer, will retire effective May 31 and will be succeeded by Jeremy Stuart, currently senior vice president, Large Format. 

Schreiber joined Utz in 2017 and held multiple leadership roles across both Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, Utz’s annual sales grew significantly, supported by successful acquisitions, distribution expansions, and brand integrations. 

“Mark has been a true champion of the Utz brand and a driving force behind our commercial success. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement,” said Friedman. 

“Jeremy’s deep understanding of the customer landscape and operational focus make him the ideal leader to build on Mark’s legacy and take our customer partnerships to the next level,” added Friedman. 

In related news, Utz is teaming with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to introduce lemon-flavored potato chips. 

The limited-edition flavor is available through August and can be purchased online at Utzsnacks.com and in retailers nationwide. 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is the largest independent childhood cancer charity in the U.S., and Utz will donate a portion of each bag sold, up to $25,000, to Alex’s Foundation to fund research and support for children fighting cancer. 

Utz also announced limited-time flavors of Cheese Balls — Utz Red Hot and Utz Cheese Pizza Mike’s Hot Honey — and introduced a newly redesigned barrel for its Cheddar Cheese Balls. Available through October, these two new flavors join Utz’s original Cheddar Cheese Balls.