PEMBROKE PINES, Fla., Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Family-owned and leading energy drink producer, Bang Energy®, has named food and beverage industry veteran, Kathy Cole as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Cole will facilitate the integration of a new high-performance operations model at the privately held U.S. company. Cole joins Bang Energy from Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors, the largest independent food distributor in the U.S., where she most recently served as President and COO. Previously, Cole held several senior leadership positions at PepsiCo Frito-Lay where she spent 13 years in sales and finance roles with increasing responsibility. She also worked in sales, finance, and logistic leadership capacities for 14 years with Coca-Cola Enterprises.
“With nearly three decades of high-level food and beverage experience and a proven track record in operational leadership, Kathy Cole is uniquely qualified to build upon Bang Energy’s success and seamlessly integrate supply chain, distribution, operations, sales, and finance. We are confident that Kathy’s skills and longtime industry relationships will fuel Bang Energy’s strategic growth as we transition to a 100% vertically operated decentralized distribution model,” said founder and CEO Jack Owoc.
Under Jack Owoc’s 29-year leadership as CEO, Bang Energy has grown from zero revenue at its inception to ~$5 billion in total sales and distribution has been expanded to 21 countries. Furthermore, Jack recently founded and launched a global initiative called Pollution Solution whose goal is to partner with billions of individuals across the world to stop using single-serve plastic once per year for 30 days during the entire month of July. This initiative will forcefully incentivize the world’s largest plastic polluters, including some of the world’s best-known soft drink companies, to change their environmentally destructive ways. The message must be loud and clear to these corporate giants: We will not allow you to make our world your global garbage dump!
Owoc and his staff have led by extreme example by reducing single use-plastic containers companywide by an unprecedented ~98.7 percent. Bang Energy and our other great innovations are predominantly produced in infinitely recyclable aluminum.
“I am honored to join the Bang Energy team with an eye toward growth while remaining true to the core values on which the company was founded. As an industry veteran, I have watched Jack Owoc build his private company with laser focus, passion, relentless commitment to quality, and tireless innovation in a highly competitive market – a true David vs. Goliath story. I am optimistic about the future and eager to continue to meet the growing demands of Bang Energy’s consumers and customers around the globe,” said Cole.
Cole is a member of the Network of Executive Women (NEW), Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) and serves as a sponsor and mentor for Leadership Investment for Tomorrow and as an executive sponsor of the Diversity & Inclusion Council, among other advisory and leadership roles. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College and Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Evansville University.
About VPX Sports/Bang Energy
Since 1993, Florida-based Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc., d/b/a Bang Energy and as VPX Sports, has developed delicious performance beverages, supplements, and workout products to fuel high-energy lifestyles. In addition to one of the top three energy drink brands in the U.S., Bang Energy, the company’s premium quality products include keto-friendly Meltdown®, Quash®, Vooz™ and Redline®. All of the company’s products are personally designed and approved for taste and effectiveness by founder and CEO, Jack Owoc, who started the family-owned company with one goal in mind: to produce the highest-quality sports supplements and performance beverages in the world backed by university scientific research. Since its founding 29 years ago, Jack Owoc has commissioned ~30 gold standard university research studies using human test subjects to prove the efficacy and quality of the company’s products by sports nutrition PhD researchers at prestigious institutions of higher learning including but not limited to: UCLA, University of South Alabama, Florida State, Baylor University, University of Southern Maine, University of Memphis, Florida International University and College of New Jersey, among others. Company’s products and supplements are available in grocery and convenience stores around the world. Jack Owoc and his team continuously innovate new products that deliver on taste, optimal performance benefits and nutrition needs. For more information and inspiration, visit www.bangenergy.com, and follow Bang Energy on Instagram at @BangEnergy and Jack Owoc @BangEnergy.CEO .
