MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., January 31, 2020 – Kar’s Nuts, a manufacturer of premium and better-for-you snacking products under the Kar’s®, Second Nature® and Sanders Fine Chocolatiers® brands, today announced the appointment Mike Illum as Chief Customer Officer.

Illum brings to Kar’s Nuts more than 25 years of senior-level sales experience with consumer-packaged goods companies. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing & R&D at Kettle Cuisine, a maker of fresh, premium soups, sauces, entrees, and other products for foodservice operators and grocery retailers, where he helped drive sales growth 35% just over two years. Mr. Illum previously served in sales leadership roles at Campbell Soup Company, where he was SVP Sales and Chief Customer Officer at Bolthouse Farms, as well as Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. and Kraft.

“We’re thrilled to have Mike Illum join our team in an essential role as we execute Kar’s accelerated growth plans,” said Vic Mehren, CEO of Kar’s Nuts. “Mike is a proven leader with deep experience collaborating closely with customers to bring innovative products to the market. His expertise will be important as we continue to establish Kar’s as a category-leading business driven by innovative products in better-for-you snacking and premium treats.”

“The Kar’s Nuts team has been building upon an incredible brand with loyal customers by investing in growth, innovation and adjacent product categories, and I could not be more excited about joining at this time,” Mr. Illum said. “There are tremendous opportunities to capture by partnering closely with customers and bringing new ideas to help grow their categories.”