Death Wish Coffee names CPG veteran Steve Gardiner as CEO

Death Wish Coffee Co. has appointed Steve Gardiner as its new CEO, signaling a push for growth and expanded market reach for the organic and Fair Trade coffee brand.

Gardiner has nearly 30 years of experience in the food and beverage sector, including leadership roles at Nature’s Bakery and PepsiCo, where he helped drive growth for brands such as Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade. His expertise in scaling consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands is expected to help Death Wish Coffee build on its position in the premium coffee category.

Though the company primarily markets its products directly to consumers via its website. Death Wish Coffee also offers wholesale formats to meet the demand for premium coffee in workplace environments. They include frac packs, single-serve pods and bulk bags available through its wholesale portal and other OCS distributors.

“Steve’s strategic vision will be extremely valuable as we grow our national footprint and introduce a steady pipeline of innovation to our community of coffee lovers,” said founder Mike Brown in a release.

Gardiner said he looks forward to building on Death Wish Coffee’s reputation for bold, high quality blends while expanding access to its Fair Trade and organic offerings.