The Role
Reporting to the new board of directors, the CEO will have responsibility for the management of the organization including strategic, programmatic, fiscal, and operational accountability. This person will work to grow the Eat REAL® and REAL Certified® brands and build a culture that can achieve the goals of the merged organization to be the trusted, nationally recognized mark of excellence for food and foodservice operators committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship.
The CEO will work with the founders and a dynamic board of directors and advisers comprised of leading health authorities and accomplished Silicon Valley executives to drive the long-term strategy and achieve ambitious goals of changing the food industry. As the public face, the CEO will represent the organization’s mission and programs amongst a wide array of stakeholders and partners and will be the driving force behind building the organization, enhancing programs and services, and, in turn, building increased financial support for the organization. The CEO should have a strong appetite for fundraising and revenue generation and a clear understanding of cost control for improved operational efficiency.
The right leader for Eat REAL at their core will understand how to build a trusted brand and have a deep commitment to purpose. The ideal candidate will be an executive leader with some brand management experience, either at a nonprofit, consumer packaged goods (CPG) company or foodservice provider, combined with a track record of successfully growing an early-stage entity, ideally with a socially-oriented enterprise. This executive should have practical experience from the nonprofit, philanthropic, and/or business sectors and the ability to build effective partnerships among board leadership, staff, and external constituents. S/he should be comfortable and adept at conveying scientific information.
Primary Responsibilities
- Drive the growth of the REAL Certified® trust mark, which includes brand building, P&L management, food industry and other strategic relations.
- Build upon the legacy of financial support for the organization through additional earned income streams, grants, corporate sponsorships and donations from high net worth individuals.
- Develop relationships and partnerships locally, nationally and internationally within the ecosystem in the nutrition science and environmental communities.
- Expand the highly effective work culture that embodies REAL values.
Candidate
Profile
The Eat REAL CEO should be detail-oriented, and not above doing any task in the company while building a world-class organization. S/he is entrepreneurial, has excellent judgement, and is results-oriented, always willing to forge ahead on a clear strategic path in the absence of perfect information.
Knowledge and Skill Requirements
- The ideal candidate will be a strategic builder and a leader. S/he will work comfortably with highly motivated professionals with a diverse set of skills and perspectives.
- Prefers to buck convention and find novel approaches that are both disruptive and effective at achieving goals, and has a demonstrated track record of success developing and executing unique solutions to problems.
- Experience working cooperatively with a team to achieve ambitious goals in a fiscally responsible manner.
- Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to represent the organization and its mission effectively to a diverse array of audiences.
- Proven success in the development and execution of go-to-market strategies.
- Lead annual goal setting process across all functional areas.
- Enthusiasm and a positive, get-things-done attitude
- A measure of self-awareness and a sense of humor
Helpful Experience
- Executive leadership in either a nonprofit or CPG or foodservice industry experience.
- Passion for building trusted sustainable, values-driven brands
- Experience owning and implementing strategic vision for an emerging brand, trust mark, certification or other similar program.
- MBA or other advanced degree preferred, but experience and track record matter most.
