NEW YORK — Russell Stokes has been promoted to chief executive officer of Kind North America. He will report to Juan Martin, global president and CEO of Kind Healthy Snacks.
Mr. Stokes joined Kind in April as chief growth officer. Prior to joining Kind he was chief strategy officer of Mars, Inc. Earlier, he was vice president of corporate strategy and business development at Whirlpool Corp., partner and managing director of The Boston Consulting Group, and a consultant at Arthur D. Little.
He is a graduate of Harvard Business School and received his undergraduate degree from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London, where he studied chemical engineering and French.
“During his time at Mars, and then at Kind, Russell and I have worked in close partnership to further the company’s strategic growth,” Mr. Martin said. “His passion for Kind’s vision and purpose, along with his more than two decades of experience leading global teams, will be a key driver to the ongoing success of our brand.”
Kind has been expanding rapidly over the past year, entering six new categories and expanding into the freezer aisle earlier this year with the launch of Kind Frozen Smoothie Bowl.
“I have been so energized to see Juan Martin as our global CEO help Kind expand across 35 countries and new categories by attracting incredible leaders to bring healthy snacking options to hundreds of millions of people,” said Daniel Lubetzky, founder and chief impact officer at Kind. “Russell Stokes brings enormous strategic acumen and is very passionate about living our purpose to be kinder to our bodies, communities and planet.”
Commenting on his promotion, Mr. Stokes said, “Since joining Kind earlier this year, I have been inspired by our team’s deep commitment to uphold the Kind Promise as we grow and expand. I’ve enjoyed watching this purpose-driven brand grow and evolve into the household name it is today, and I look forward to the work ahead of us.”
