Juicero
There's been a shakeup in the land of Silicon Valley juicers.
Doug Evans, the founder and CEO of the $700 juice machine maker is stepping aside.
In his place, Jeff Dunn, a former president of Coca-Cola North America is taking over as CEO effective October 31, according to a press release announcing the change.
Evans will remain chairman of the board and continue to help the company with strategic relationships.
Juicero had a splashy debut in early 2016 after emerging from years in stealth with a $700, wi-fi connected juicer. The company drew a lot of criticism at the time for developing an expensive product, but the company said on Monday that growth is "accelerating."
The Juicero founder's sudden resignation from the top job shortly after the product launch comes as a surprise. Juicero said in its announcement that the change was being made because Dunn was the right person to "execute the next phase of our ambitious vision."
“We have a very bold plan and vision for Juicero that I care deeply about, and I've been looking for an experienced operator like Jeff for a long time," Evans said in a statement to Business Insider about his deaprture. "It's a huge win for the company to be able to attract and recruit an executive like Jeff to be my partner. I’ll continue to be very involved full-time with Juicero as Chairman. I know and trust Jeff - he’s been on the Board since the beginning - and I’m looking forward to partnering with him."
Dunn's hire will bring his years of expertise dealing with fresh food to the juicer company, which manages its own supply chain. Dunn, who was an early investor and board memeber of Juicero, also served as president of Campbell Soup Company's Campbell Fresh department. The food company was also an early investor in Juicero, which raised more than $120 million from the Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists.
Before his time at Campbell Soup Company, Dunn was also president of Coca-Cola North America from 2000 to 2004.
"In a short period of time, Juicero has poised itself to reinvent not only the premium juice category, but more broadly the future of fresh food," Dunn said in the press release. "Since launching a mere six months ago, Doug and his senior executive team have built a strong foundation and are on the cusp of significant growth. They've already achieved strong early revenue and monthly growth, and have disciplined themselves in California in preparation for greater consumer and commercial expansion in 2017."
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