Javo Beverage Co. Taps Sara Lee Corp. And IMI Cornelius Veteran Chris Johnson As Executive Vice President Of Sales

July 25, 2012

Chris Johnson has been named executive vice president of sales at the Javo Beverage Co.

Johnson joins Javo Beverage from IMI Cornelius, a global manufacturer of beverage dispensing and cooling equipment, where he served as their vice president of sales for North America. His primary responsibilities included leading the sales, field operations and customer service teams in the development of new national chain account business in the convenience and quick serve restaurant (QSR) channels along with managing relationships with national brand owner, bottler and distributor customers.

During his nearly two years with IMI Cornelius, Johnson successfully drove new customer acquisition, increased revenue and profit growth and implemented key business process disciplines that have helped to improve the overall management of the business.

From 1998 to 2010, Johnson was employed by the Sara Lee Corp., where he held several positions of increasing responsibility up to his most recent role as vice president of beverage sales for the U.S. and Caribbean Islands. In this role, he was responsible for leading the growth of Sara Lee’s branded coffee and tea business in the convenience, office coffee service, vending, broadline and specialty distribution channels as well as managing private branded coffee programs for several national chain account operators and broadline distributor partners.

“Chris is a proven sales leader who has delivered impressive results in every position he has held. Javo Beverage will benefit greatly from his industry experience and relationships with customers in every foodservice channel we serve,” said Dennis Riley, president and chief executive officer of Javo Beverage in a prepared statement.