Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn, Inc. announced that global brand and business executive Susan Aplin has joined the company as its co-CEO and chairwoman of the board of directors. Aplin will co-lead the company with founder and Co-CEO Ginger Frank. Aplin will assume day-to-day leadership of the company, overseeing Strategy & Planning, Operations and Production, Finance & Accounting, Sourcing, and Growth Management, and will also chair the board of directors. Frank will oversee Product Design and Development, Brand and Creative, and the Customer Experience, and will serve as vice chairwoman of the board.

Aplin is a seasoned CEO and business leader who brings over 30 years of business experience, including retail, wholesale, and e-commerce, product development & design, supply chain, operations, sustainability, sourcing, merchandising, and entrepreneurship in public and private sectors. She has held executive roles in large global brands and key management roles taking start-ups to exit; these roles include key executive roles at Williams Sonoma, Inc., The Gap, Bambeco, The Sports Authority, Staples, BillMeLater, and The World Trade Center Institute. 

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the founder and CEO of Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn and I am incredibly proud of everything our team has accomplished together in the past eight years,” said Frank. “We’ve built an incredible brand, product, and loyal customer following. Susan is the right person to build on that momentum. She brings significant experience and leadership to build out and efficiently scale the business, deliver on our customer promise, and increase value for our shareholders.

“I am incredibly thrilled to join Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn and Ginger at this inflection point in the company. We have a talented team that is passionate about our mission, transforming our business, innovating our product offerings, and driving future growth,” Aplin said.  “I am excited for the future of the company and our positioning in the popcorn sector.  As this industry continues to grow, we will continue to lead in flavor innovation with our ready-to-eat (RTE) all-natural gourmet popcorn offering."