Welch’s Appoints Chief R&D Officer
With an eye to the future, fruit-based CPG Welch's has named Christine Kwiat as its chief research and development officer. The company promoted her from her most recent role as VP of transformational growth, corporate communications, public relations and social media.
Kwiat joined Welch’s in 2020 following a seven-year tenure at Schwan’s Co., where she was VP of product innovation and development. Her background also includes R&D and leadership roles at Kraft Foods Group, Oscar Mayer Foods and Nabisco, where she helped launch several new products. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, and holds five patents in food technology and packaging innovation.
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"Chris' strategic vision and proven ability to drive transformation have been instrumental in advancing our innovation agenda," said Trevor Bynum, Welch's president and CEO. "Her ability to inspire teams and deliver breakthrough solutions is exactly what we need as we accelerate our growth trajectory, and we are thrilled to have her at the helm of our R&D organization."
Kwiat said she is grateful for the opportunity to lead the R&D function. "As a farmer-owned cooperative, we have a unique opportunity to build on our legacy of quality and innovation while creating products that delight consumers and deliver value to our grower-owners,” she remarked.
Later this year, Welch’s is opening a new corporate headquarters in Waltham, Mass. For the last 40 years, the CPG has been based in Concord, Mass.
