May 22, 2013

Industry News | March 3, 2012

Focus Brands Appoints SVP of Business Development

FOCUS Brands announced today it has named Chad Scales as senior vice president of business development. In this newly created role, Chad’s primary responsibility will be to develop new lines of business, including product creation, manufacture, and sales for Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.

Scales comes to FOCUS Brands with more than 20 years of business development, general management, marketing, and advertising expertise across multiple industries. 

Most recently, Scales was global vice president of innovation with The Coca Cola Company, where he oversaw the company’s innovation and development efforts across the entire portfolio of products worldwide.

He and his teams led the global cooler and retail equipment group, led the launch of the first ever 0-calorie natural sweetener (Truvia), implemented the launch of the award-winning “Plant Bottle” packaging, and developed the soft-drink giant’s first Dairy platform, launched in Asia and now expanding around the globe. 

In addition, he worked in an executive marketing capacity for six years with Unilever, PLC, where he developed and managed a wide array of brands in North and South America, including Bertolli Frozen Foods, Slim Fast, Ragu, Maizena, Country Crock, Knorr, Lawry’s, and Skippy Peanut Butter. 

Scales also brings agency experience from his role as a senior partner at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising in New York City. He has an entrepreneurial spirit, as the past founder of Boston Brands Inc., which created The RealFruit Company (frozen desserts), The Santa Fe Chili Company, and acquired The Fresh Samantha Juice Company (which ultimately merged with Odwalla Juice). 

“We are thrilled to welcome Chad to the FOCUS Brands team,” says CEO Russ Umphenour. “As our organization continues its rapid growth, Chad is the ideal person to champion our vision to be the world’s best developer of unique limited service food brands through franchising, licensing, and food service operations.”