Fannie May Brands has hired former Lindt vice president Kevin J. Coen as its new president. Coen was most recently North American president of retailer Crabtree & Evelyn. He previously spent eight years at Lindt between 1995 and 2003.
Fannie May Brands is a subsidiary of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It operates over 100 franchised and company-owned premium chocolate retail stores across the US. It also runs an online, wholesale and fundraising business as well as a business gifts division.
In August last year, the company announced plans to open a new distribution facility in Maple Heights, Ohio to help grow its Harry London and Fannie May brands.
Divine appoints new chair
Across the Atlantic, UK Fairtrade firm Divine Chocolate has appointed Jamie Hartzell as chair of the company’s Board.
Hartzell founded and ran the Ethical Property Company and more recently the positive investment marketplace Ethex. He is also chair of the Palestinian fair trade food importer Zaytoun
Hartzell replaces Patrick Fleming who was chair of the Divine Board for three years.
Divine Chocolate is 45% owned by Ghanaian cocoa farmers organization Kuapa Kokoo, 43% by Fairtrade NGO Twin Trading, and 12% by international development finance institute Oikocredit.
The company posted £7.5m ($12.3m) in UK sales in 2011-12, while its US division, launched in 2007, turned over £4.7m ($7.7m) over the same period.