The American Egg Board (AEB) announced key appointments to bolster strategic focal areas, including the hiring of Kate Karnas as director of channel marketing and Christopher Bowers as manager of consumer insights, along with the promotion of John Gallagher to a new role. The moves reflect the AEB’s ongoing investment in strengthening its marketing, insights, and industry engagement efforts to increase demand for eggs and egg products, it says.

New Director of Channel Marketing Kate Karnas  

Karnas brings more than a decade of agency-side experience in food and ingredient marketing, having developed integrated campaigns for organizations including the Almond Board of California, Taylor Farms, HZPC/Potato Glory, and Griffith Foods during her time at Porter Novelli. At AEB, Karnas will oversee channel-specific campaigns and collaborate across teams to build industry partnerships and position eggs as an essential and versatile solution across applications.  

“Kate’s expertise in ingredient marketing, trade strategy, and brand storytelling makes her a  powerful addition to our team,” says AEB President and CEO Emily Metz. “She understands the food industry from every angle and will help us better connect with key decision-makers. Her work will support our efforts to position eggs as a go-to solution for chefs, food manufacturers, and retailers—meeting evolving customer needs, opening new opportunities, and driving impact for  America’s egg farmers.”  

Karnas’s appointment reinforces AEB’s commitment to expanding its influence across food industry channels, it says. Her work will enhance AEB’s ability to support egg producers through strong industry partnerships, insight-driven programs, and initiatives that grow demand in ingredient, foodservice, and retail markets domestically and internationally, AEB notes.

New Manager of Consumer Insights Chris Bowers  

Bowers joins the AEB as manager of consumer insights, bringing a strong background in marketing research and shopper insights. Most recently, he served as a senior account manager at Circana,  where he led insight generation and strategic analysis for clients including PepsiCo. His earlier experience includes leadership roles at DS-IQ, where he supported digital shopper marketing efforts for Walmart, and at Kantar/Millward Brown in research and project management.  

“Chris’s deep expertise in translating complex consumer data into actionable insights will be instrumental in elevating our marketing strategy,” says Metz. “His ability to connect the dots between shopper behavior, industry trends, and business needs will help us build stronger connections with foodservice, retail, and manufacturing partners—and ultimately create more impact for America’s egg farmers.”  

At the AEB, Bowers will support consumer insights, using research and data to guide strategic decision-making, identify growth opportunities, and help shape the narrative of eggs as a relevant and in-demand food in every channel. Additionally, he will serve as the lead support for the AEB Newsroom—monitoring media and conversation trends and identifying emerging topics. He will also guide the development of the Newsrooms’ capabilities to support AEB’s strategic goals.   

Internal promotion: John Gallagher, associate director, industry affairs and engagement

In addition to the new appointments, AEB announced an internal promotion: John Gallagher is assuming a new role as associate director, industry affairs and engagement.

Gallagher has been promoted to associate director of industry affairs and engagement after previously serving as manager of insights. He will focus on strengthening relationships with egg producers and industry partners while leading industry engagement initiatives.  

“John has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to advancing the AEB’s mission,” says Metz. “In his new role, his focus on industry initiatives and partnerships will be instrumental in strengthening our collaborations and driving demand for eggs in ways that benefit America’s egg farmers.”  

Related - Bird flu crisis shows signs of easing: American Egg Board