Florida-based snack producer Snax-Sational Brands (owners of the Cookie Pop, Candy Pop and Cereal Pop popcorns, and gluten-free Pasta Snacks), has announced that Mike Hagan has joined the company as CEO, and Scott Peterson has been named executive vice president of finance. The portfolio, focused on the snacking space, reportedly will continue to expand and develop its popular flavor varieties, evolving key flavors and best sellers, in collaboration with retail partners.

Hagan joins the company with more than 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, experienced in evolving CPG brands to elevated levels of performance. Hagan is a global management executive and business development expert successful in driving domestic and international business units to consistently deliver growth and profit results while building brands, leadership teams, and organizational capabilities. His ability to develop financially sustainable advantages through the development and execution of long-term strategies across multiple markets that maximize growth and shareholder value, and strengthen market presence for brands, includes Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and National Beverage. He possesses large company functional expertise with small company DNA and transforms underperforming organizations to deliver significant bottom-line impact. 

“I am extremely excited to join the team at Snax-Sational, as an expansion of my role with their umbrella partnership and sister company Keen Growth Capital,” Hagan says. “I am honored to align with such an innovative brand group creating steady momentum in the snacking aisle through top-level partnerships with Mars, Post Cereal, Mondelez, and The Ferrero Group, leveraging emerging consumer taste profiles, and further expanding and strengthening retail presence.”

Peterson joins Snax-Sational Brands as executive vice president of finance with more than 35 years of experience leading turnaround and transformative strategies with middle market companies in transition. As a business executive, he has led maximum value extraction from organizations through targeted change management, strategic planning, financial eloquence, operations improvements, and rigorous due diligence.

Peterson began his career at KPMG followed by a role as CFO and senior financial management assignments at ADP, Randstad, DHL, Proudfoot, Viasource Communications, Miami Air International, ACM Capital Partners, H.I.G. Capital, and PE firm Sunbelt Diversified Enterprises. In these important roles, Peterson became adept at leading strategic acquisitions, rebuilding balance sheets, maximizing enterprise values and shareholder returns, managing cash flows, and identifying cost and growth drivers.