Functional wellness beverage brand names COO/CFO, a new VP of Sales, Director of Sales, West, and locks in new partnership with strategic sales and marketing agency Impact NSS
BOULDER, Colo., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rowdy Mermaid, a leading functional wellness beverage brand, today celebrates the expansion of its operations and finance team, as well as an expanded sales team and new broker relationship. The additions include Matt Opperman as the company's Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer (COO/CFO); Dan Olson as VP of Sales; and Robyn Kinstle as Director of Sales, West. To drive accelerated growth in both the natural and conventional channels, Rowdy has also forged an exciting new partnership with Impact Group, the Natural Specialty Sales business within Acosta known for elevating remarkable brands. The expansion of this veteran and ambitious team comes as the company experiences exciting distribution gains across the U.S. with its innovative portfolio of two distinct beverage lines: 1) Kombucha and 2) Adaptonic sparkling tonics crafted with functional mushrooms to address consumer health needs.
"We expand our team the same way we create new functional wellness beverages by carefully exploring how they'll combine for optimal function and flare," said Jamba Dunn, CEO and founder of Rowdy Mermaid. "The common thread among these new hires is their shared passion, intelligence, and proven track record for building successful better-for-you and wellness brands."
A passionate and eclectic team of doers and believers
Rowdy Mermaid's expanded crew shares the team's belief in the power of functional beverages to do good, taste good and help people feel good. The additions include:
- Matt Opperman, COO/CFO. Opperman joins Rowdy Mermaid with more than 20 years of experience directing finance and operations in organizations including international health & wellness brands, food and beverage start-ups, ecommerce and pet care leaders, and national pharmaceutical retail companies. Specifically, Opperman was the VP of Finance & Strategy for Jamba Juice and ran Finance and Accounting for Hint Water, Caveman Foods and most recently held the role of CFO/COO for I and Love and You and SkinTe where he drove improved profitability during growth. A dynamic decision-maker grounded in analytics and data, as COO/CFO of Rowdy Mermaid, Opperman will be responsible for ensuring financial stability and operational excellence. Opperman resides in Colorado and joins the Rowdy Mermaid team in its Boulder home office. The addition of Opperman to the team will allow Dunn to focus on what he loves most, discovering the power and flavor of functional botanicals, herbs and mushrooms to create combinations that leave today's wellness seeker feeling delighted and nourished.
- Dan Olson, VP of Sales. Olson officially joined the Rowdy Mermaid team in April 2022, and has quickly helped the company expand its retail footprint. Olson brings vast sales leadership to the Rowdy Mermaid team with nearly 20 years of past experience in both CPG and apparel, including holding the VP of Sales position for organizations like sovos brands (Natural & Specialty Division), Enjoy Life Foods, noosa yoghurt, Chobani, as well as director of sales at PACT Apparel. As VP of Sales, Olson is excited to drive sales for the brand across multiple channels, launch unique innovative beverages into the category and to lead a high-performing sales team.
- Robyn Kinstle, Director of Sales, West. Kinstle joins the Rowdy Mermaid team with 27 years of experience in CPG including brand and brokerage experience. Specifically, Kinstle held the roles of Natural Accounts Manager for Imagine Foods, and was an Account Executive at Presence, one of the world's largest natural foods brokers. She most recently was the Senior Customer Business Sales Manager for sovos brands, where she first partnered with Olson. Kinstle is based in San Francisco and will be responsible for all West coast business across both grocery and natural channels.
"Rowdy Mermaid is on a mission to bring delicious, sustainably-sourced functional plant medicine to the world, and I couldn't be more honored to help the company reach its full potential," shared Opperman. "This role provides an enticing opportunity to combine my past experiences for a bigger mission - to help consumers, including me, fulfill their quest for overall well-being."
Finding Rowdy Mermaid is Easier than Ever
Earlier this year, Rowdy Mermaid announced an expanded footprint including a larger Kombucha set at Natural Grocers and key Whole Foods Market regions. Additionally, nearly 200 HEB stores began to carry Rowdy Mermaid's Adaptonic Immunity beverages this spring. Gains heading into the second part of the year continue to impress and demonstrate consumer interest in enjoying Rowdy Mermaid. Specifically, several new Kroger divisions will soon carry Rowdy Mermaid functional wellness beverages, including Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralph's and Kroger Atlanta. Additionally, Sprouts now carries Rowdy Mermaid Grapefruit Rise Kombucha nationally and Wakefern will soon offer Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha to its wellness-minded shoppers.
To help further accelerate growth, Rowdy Mermaid has secured a partnership with Impact Group, a national sales and marketing agency with decades of combined experience in the retail broker and CPG industry, enabling clients like Rowdy Mermaid to more effectively connect with retailers and drive aggressive growth and sales.
Consumers can also find Rowdy Mermaid where they live, work and play at corporate campuses, colleges, restaurants and coffee/juice shops with growth in this channel up 61% in 2022.
"Consumers today are seeking more than just great-tasting beverages. They want beverages that can support their health and wellness goals," shared Olson. "By reinvigorating our sales team with experts known for creating meaningful retail partnerships that result in brand growth, we feel bullish about the opportunity to contribute to the expansion of the functional beverage category in boundless ways."
About Rowdy Mermaid
Rowdy Mermaid's story began in 2012 when Jamba Dunn, the company's founder, began brewing homemade beer in his garage. Encouraged by his young daughter to create something she could enjoy, he was inspired to create a kombucha that wasn't so "kombucha-y," meaning less sugary, less vinegary, less acidic and verifiably non-alcoholic. The result was Rowdy Mermaid kombucha, a scientifically controlled, function-forward kombucha done differently, brewed by doing the right thing across all things. Today, Rowdy Mermaid is a leading beverage brand with an expanding portfolio of functional wellness beverages. The brand continues to be committed to delivering sustainably sourced deliciousness that's also infused with functional plant medicine. Get rowdy with us at rowdymermaid.com and @rowdymermaid on Instagram and at @rowdymermaid on LinkedIn.
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Media Contact
Elexis Schroder, Rowdy Mermaid, 1 720-352-3961, [email protected]
SOURCE Rowdy Mermaid
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