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Former Jamba Juice, Del Monte Foods exec named CEO of Project Juice

Susan Shields, a veteran of the food and beverage industry, has more than 25 years in the retail and food service marketing and business management industry.

January 19, 2016

Project Juice, a certified organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed juice and clean food company, has hired its first CEO. Susan Shields, a veteran of the food and beverage industry, has more than 25 years in the retail and food service marketing and business management industry, according to a company press release. Her professional expertise lies in helping natural and organic companies grow profitably and sustainably, said Project Juice Co-founder Rachel Malsin.

"Project Juice is a growing company with multiple founders. We are continuously faced with opportunities to explore and strategic decisions to be made," said Malsin. "Collectively, we decided that hiring a CEO is an important decision to best set up Project Juice for success in 2016. We spent several months interviewing and vetting candidates before selecting Susan to lead the company."

Shields will lead the senior executive team of founding members — Greg and Rachel Malsin, Devon Briger, Marra St. Clair and Lori Kenyon Farley — in setting company culture and implementing a unified vision, according to the release. She will also help raise and allocate capital to support continued company growth.

"I am thrilled to be joining such a passionate and talented group of founders," Shields said. "I look forward to building upon the incredible foundation that they have built and partnering with them to take the business to the next level."

Prior to joining the Project Juice team, she was partner and co-founder at Pluot Consulting, a firm that handles natural and organic brand consulting. Previous to that, she served as senior vice president, chief innovation officer and chief marketing officer at Jamba Juice.

She has also held senior executive positions at Beautifull Inc and with Safeway’s consumer brands division. She’s also headed departments and brands for both Del Monte Foods and the Quaker Oats Company.