BLOOMINGTON, MINN. – Schwan’s Co. added the newly created role of chief operating officer to its executive team. Dimitrios Smyrnios, chief executive officer, has promoted Julie Francis to this role and added Brian Schiegg to fill her position as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands Inc.

Francis joined the company in 2018 as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, the subsidiary that sells and distributes its branded foods to grocery and club stores. As COO, Francis will continue to report to Smyrnios and serve on the company’s executive leadership team. She will lead the management teams for various Schwan’s Co. subsidiaries including Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Schwan’s Food Service Inc. and SFC Global Supply Chain Inc.

“Since joining our company, Julie’s deep industry and operational experience has helped deliver outstanding results for our business and customers,” Smyrnios said. “She is a values-based leader who possesses a great energy for achieving operational excellence, serving our customers, driving profitable growth and leading people. Julie’s passion for leading people and teams has had a positive impact on the business and our company’s culture. I am excited to see Julie take on this expanded role within Schwan’s.”

Schiegg joined Schwan’s as president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands with more than two decades of global experience in the consumer and packaged goods industry. Most recently he served as COO and president of Ocean Spray International Services, leading all US sales, global business units, marketing, planning, manufacturing, global ingredients and supply chain operations. In addition, he also spent part of his career working at Mars Inc.

“Throughout his career, Brian has successfully delivered profitable growth across multiple geographies and categories, and I look forward to working closely with him as we continue our efforts to bring delicious foods to families everywhere and deliver the best service possible to our customers,” Francis said.

In his new role, Schiegg will be responsible for driving growth with brands including Red Baron, Tony’s and Freschetta pizza, Mrs. Smith’s and Edwards desserts, and Bibigo, Pagoda, Minh and Kahiki Asian foods. He will also report to Francis and serve on the company’s executive leadership team.

“As a company, we are truly fortunate to have both of these outstanding leaders on our team. Their extensive knowledge and expertise in the food industry, strong customer focus and outstanding leadership will help us strengthen our operations, bring elevated service to our customers, and achieve our growth objectives,” Smyrnios said.