New Leadership Team in Place at Quinn Snacks

There are some changes at the top at natural foods company Quinn Snacks, Inc. The Boulder, Colo.-based snack brand announced that founder Kristy Lewis is moving into a role as "chief visionary officer” and chairwoman of the board, while Mike Keown has been brought on as CEO.

In her new position, Lewis will focus on the vision and mission of the company as it moves into its next phase of future growth. She founded Quinn more than a decade ago and brought to market the first microwave popcorn to be offered in a compostable paper bag and the industry’s first whole grain gluten-free pretzel product, among other innovations. Beyond R&D, she also led sustainability initiatives, such as the company’s farm-to-bag transparency policy developed in 2012 and its efforts to help farmers work toward a more regenerative farming approach.

“After 11 years of leading Quinn, this is a chance for me to lead where my heart is and to exclusively focus on turning Quinn into a company that stands for the greater common good,” Lewis said. “I am beyond grateful to be in a position where my job is to help build Quinn with a primary focus on ‘Being and Doing Better’ in everything that we do. I am thrilled that Mike believes in our vision, and I am really looking forward to working with him as we continue to lead as innovators and game changers in this space.”  

Before joining Quinn, Keown was CEO at sports nutrition brand Honey Stinger. His 30-plus years of CPG leadership also includes roles at Farmers Brothers, WhiteWave Foods, Minute Maid and Procter and Gamble.

“When I first met Kristy, it was clear we shared many of the same values and I was excited to see her vision for the future,” he remarked. “I could not be more excited to help bring that vision to life, lead the terrific team she put together, and do so in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, a town we love.”