HANOVER, Pa. — Seeking to further accelerate innovation as consumer snacking rises, Utz Brands Inc. has appointed Shannan Redcay to the role of senior vice president of innovation and value creation. In the role, she is charged with advancing the brand’s innovation initiatives, including Utz’s entry into new potential categories, forms and formats, and ultimately delivering consumer-led innovation that capitalizes on emerging trends.
“I expect great things to come from Shannan’s expertise which is in bringing the highest quality products to market and developing new product and packaging ideas that are in lock-step with the needs of our consumers, both new and existing,” said Dylan Lissette, CEO of Utz Brands. “Shannan and her team have demonstrated that the most effective way to solidify an emotional and lasting connection with our consumers is to give them something they haven’t even thought to ask for, and that comes from understanding what is most relevant to them.”
A member of the Utz executive leadership team, Redcay oversees a team responsible for product innovation, quality assurance, and product and packaging development. Among her team’s primary responsibilities is facilitating communication and synergies to ensure that new product and packaging ideas are not only sound but are customized for where and when consumers are snacking.
“Working to understand where consumers are at is a big part of what we do, especially now,” said Redcay, who has been with the company since 2015 and was most recently senior director of innovation and quality assurance. “One of the current day challenges we face is the drastic shift in consumer behaviors. People went out of ‘exploratory mode’ and instead sought sources and brands of comfort in the early part of 2020, so we need to not just mine customer data and monitor trends but also make some predictions to a certain extent.”
In this role, Redcay and her team will seek inspiration from other categories as Utz looks to enter new areas of snacking and gain product diversity.
Hanover, Pa.-based Utz Brands Inc. manufactures a portfolio of savory snacks under popular brands including Utz, Golden Flake, Zapp’s, Good Health, Boulder Canyon, Hawaiian Brand and Tortiyahs! among others.
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