WESTON, Fla. — Food and beverage industry veteran Kathy Cole is the new chief operating officer at Bang Energy, the company has announced. The appointment comes after Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VPX), the maker of Bang energy drinks, filed for protection on Oct. 10 under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of Florida.
Weston, Fla.-based Vital Pharmaceuticals does business as VPX Sports. Cole will be in charge of the integration of a new high-performance operations model at the privately held company, it said.
Cole comes to Bang Energy from Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors, Detroit, where she most recently was president and COO. Previously, she held several senior leadership positions at Plano, Texas-based PepsiCo Frito-Lay, where she spent 13 years in sales and finance roles with increasing responsibility. She also worked in sales, finance and logistic leadership capacities for 14 years with The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta.
“With nearly three decades of high-level food and beverage experience and a proven track record in operational leadership, Kathy Cole is uniquely qualified to build upon Bang Energy’s success and seamlessly integrate supply chain, distribution, operations, sales and finance,” Bang Energy founder and CEO Jack Owoc said. “We are confident that Kathy’s skills and longtime industry relationships will fuel Bang Energy’s strategic growth as we transition to a 100% vertically operated decentralized distribution model.”
Cold said she intends to remain true to the core values on which the company was founded. “As an industry veteran, I have watched Jack Owoc build his private company with laser focus, passion, relentless commitment to quality and tireless innovation in a highly competitive market—a true David vs. Goliath story,” she said. “I am optimistic about the future and eager to continue to meet the growing demands of Bang Energy’s consumers and customers around the globe.”
Cole is a member of the Network of Executive Women (NEW), Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) and serves as a sponsor and mentor for Leadership Investment for Tomorrow and as an executive sponsor of the Diversity & Inclusion Council, among other advisory and leadership roles.
The bankruptcy-protection announcement on Oct 10 came after a California jury ruled Sept. 29 that Bang must pay Monster Energy $293 million in damages for falsely advertising the “super creatine” ingredient of Bang Energy. The case, which lasted a month, revolved around claims of false advertising and trade secrets against the company and CEO Jack Owoc.
The nine-person jury found that “Bang Energy and its CEO Jack Owoc acted willfully and deliberately in violating the federal Lanham Act by falsely advertising the health benefits of Bang. That decision puts both Bang and Owoc on the hook for possible enhanced damages, which could triple the award,” the USA Herald reported.
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