Rich’s Taps Industry Leader to Head Up R&D and FSQA
Rich Products, Inc. has tapped an industry veteran to lead some key functions. The family-owned food company has brought on Tracey Ziener as EVP, chief R&D and food safety quality assurance officer.
Ziener brings more than 28 years of experience to the role. She joins Rich’s executive team from Mars, where she most recently served as VP of R&D for the global chocolate business. While at Mars, she worked across confectionary, gum, pet care and food categories spearheading development for iconic brands like M&M, Milky Way and Pedigree.
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A native of the United Kingdom, Ziener earned a doctorate in chemistry from Edinburgh Napier University and a bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry from Heriot-Watt University. She is a chartered member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a chartered chemist and chartered scientist, has contributed to several publications and has six patents.
“Innovation is at the core of who we are as a company. It’s what we were founded on 78 years ago,” said CEO Richard Ferranti. “Tracey’s strong leadership, technical skills and unique ability to build highly effective global R&D teams, will enhance that focus on innovation, helping us to drive growth and deliver greater value to our customers.”
Ziener, in turn, said she is looking forward to leveraging her background and global experience in the creation and delivery of new products, packaging and tech platforms in her new capacity. “Rich’s has a long history of pioneering many of the food industry’s game-changing products. I’m excited to join a forward-thinking company that is passionate about innovation and is delivering unique solutions to customers around the world,” she declared.
Rich’s has continued to focus on R&D. Earlier this month, the company launched On Top Oat Milk Soft Whip, a whipped topping made with plant-based oat milk.
Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Rich's offers a product portfolio that includes pizza crust, cake icings and sweet starters, beverages, desserts and other culinary solutions.
