John Richardson
Chairman of the Board
John was only a teenager when SugarCreek was founded in 1966, yet he worked for the company throughout his high school and college years in various positions, learning every aspect of the business. Shortly after graduating from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he became plant manager of the then newly acquired facility in Dayton, Ohio. Since taking over the company in 1990, when his father John S. Richardson retired, he transformed the family-owned business from a raw bacon manufacturer with $50 million in annual sales to a widely diversified company with over $1 billion in annual sales. He was a Knowlton Award honoree winner for 2022 and inducted into the prestigious Meat Industry Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, cementing his legacy in the industry with global recognition. Always expanding, Richardson acquired Wingate Packaging, an innovative paperboard packaging company, in 2011. In 2022, he acquired Cincinnati Beverage Company, reintroducing iconic Cincinnati beer brands such as Little Kings, Hudy Delight, and Christian Moerlein to the market. In 2023, Richardson acquired Veroni, adding the fourth-generation Italian charcuterie company to the SugarCreek family.
Michael Richardson
Chief Executive Officer
Michael started at SugarCreek in 2002 and has worked in various roles throughout the company including Transportation, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Sales, Quality Assurance, Operations, Maintenance, Accounting, Human Resources, and Wingate Packaging before heading back to Operations in 2012. Prior to becoming President, Michael managed multiple manufacturing plants and served as the Chief Operations Officer. Michael graduated from The Ohio State University with a double major in Finance and Operations.
Jennifer (Richardson) Hutcheson
Chief Relationship Officer
Jennifer started with the company in 2006 stewarding and maintaining the company’s strategic accounts until 2016 when she was promoted to Director of Sales. She is now Chief Relationship Officer, focusing on internal and external relations as an ambassador of the company’s culture and mission. Jennifer graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., with a major in Pre-Law and a minor in Business Administration.
Tom Bollinger
Chief Financial Officer
Tom graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics. Tom joined SugarCreek in January 1992. After spending a few years in various Accounting and Finance roles, Tom became the Chief Financial Officer in 1995.
Todd Pugh
Chief Technology Officer
Todd graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration while majoring in MIS. Todd joined SugarCreek in March of 2000 after spending several years in IT in various roles including programmer, consultant, IT project leader. He took over the role of CTO in June 2023.
Matt McConville
Chief Information Officer
Matt joined SugarCreek in 2014 as the Product Supply Manager where he implemented a segmented inventory strategy that improved inventory efficiency. In 2015 he was elevated to Director of Product Supply and in 2019 he assumed leadership for the Customer Service Team. In 2021, he became the co-lead of the SAP implementation team and was promoted to Chief Information Officer in 2023.
Tod Gitlin
Chief Procurement Officer
Tod Gitlin joined Sugar Creek in February 2025 as Chief Procurement Officer, bringing over 40 years of experience in Procurement and Supply Chain Management. He specializes in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and has a strong background in manufacturing and sales/marketing. Before joining Sugar Creek, Tod was Director of Strategic Sourcing at IPC/Subway, where he developed and executed sourcing strategies. He also served as Senior Category Manager of Poultry at US Foods. Tod spent over 30 years in family-owned food manufacturing businesses, Milfico Foods and Rosewood Foods, including Owner/President, where he gained comprehensive operational expertise.
Alan Riney
Chief Marketing Officer
Alan joined the company as Executive VP of Sales and Business Development in 2016 after spending several years at our sister company Wingate Packaging. Alan has extensive experience in Public Accounting, Brand Management, Sales, and Business Development. Alan has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from Indiana University, he is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Daniel Hammer
President
Daniel joined SugarCreek in 2022 as SVP International Business development, after spending 30+ years in the Grocery retail Business, where he held multiple leadership positions. He has been instrumental in supporting the integration and collaboration between Veroni and SugarCreek.
Daniel became President in June of 2024. Daniel, among other leadership responsibilities, oversees all Merchandising functions, including Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, New Business Development, Product Development, Culinary, and International Business.
Ronald Bree
Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development
Ronald Bree joined SugarCreek in May 2025 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development Strategy, bringing 40 years of experience in the meat industry. Throughout his career, Ron has held leadership roles with some of the industry’s most recognized companies, including Hormel, Sara Lee, Smithfield, and OSI. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater with a degree in Business Administration and a focus in Sales and Marketing, Ron has built a career centered on strategic sales growth and operational collaboration. He is known for his ability to align cross-functional teams, integrating sales and operations to drive initiatives that enhance plant utilization, expand customer reach, and increase overall profitability. Ron’s focus at SugarCreek is on aligning sales strategies with both new and existing customers, developing long-term partnerships, and identifying growth opportunities that strengthen the company’s market position.
Jonathan Ricciuto
Senior Vice President of FSQA
Jonathan joined SugarCreek in 2010 after a successful internship with the company and the completion of his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree from The Ohio State University. Ricciuto started his career with SugarCreek and has grown with the company as it continues to expand into various other products within the food industry. More recently, Jonathan has taken on the role of Sr. VP, FSQA & Technical Services, having oversight for Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) throughout the enterprise, as the needs of the business continue to grow with SugarCreek’s increased capabilities and capacity. In December 2024, he earned his Executive MBA from Xavier University, further strengthening his expertise in leadership and business strategy.
Shawn Moorman
Vice President of Finance & Pricing
Shawn joined SugarCreek in 1990 and used his public accounting experience to help modernize the company’s accounting department. After changing roles to focus on operational finance, Shawn was promoted to Vice President of Finance and Pricing. Shawn currently works as a liaison between the sales department and plant operations and supports both in their efforts to sell and produce SugarCreek’s ever expanding line of products.
Derek Boesken
Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain
Derek joined SugarCreek in 2014 and was named VP of Operations and Supply Chain in 2023. Derek spent about 6 years as an integral part of the Supply Chain from 2014-2020 and used that experience to help lead the Frontenac, Kansas plant to significant growth from 2020-2022. He uses his hands on experience to help bridge the gap between operations, supply chain, and sales to grow SugarCreek to new heights in the coming years.
Alex Hauck
Vice President of Engineering
Alex joined SugarCreek in 2012 and became VP of Engineering and Technical Services in 2020. Alex is responsible for engineering and corporate maintenance at SugarCreek and manages the annual capital investment plan. Using over 20 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry, Alex oversees plant expansions and automation at our facilities.
Ron Holbrook
Corporate Affairs
Ron holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University and has extensive experience in food industry plant management and operations. He began his career with SugarCreek in 2016, overseeing the newly constructed facility in Cambridge City, IN. In his current role, Ron focuses on fostering positive engagement within each community where SugarCreek operates. He has successfully implemented innovative solutions for employee housing, childcare, and utility challenges. By collaborating with local government, economic development organizations, and businesses, Ron demonstrates the belief that strong businesses contribute to strong communities, and vice versa.
Stacey Firsich-Schultz
General Counsel
Stacey joined SugarCreek in 2011. She supervises all legal functions at SugarCreek with a particular emphasis on contract management, regulatory compliance, labor & employment, safety, and food law. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Northern Kentucky University and completed her law degree at Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University.
Culinary Team
Chef Martin O’Brien
Culinary Product Developer
Chef Martin O’Brien has been with SugarCreek since the beginning of 2019, working out of our Cambridge City, IN plant. Chef Martin’s professional experience ranges from fine dining, to retail and manufacturing. Together with the others from the SugarCreek product development team, Chef Martin is eager to engage in any project our clients may bring to the table.
Chef Greg Jodrey
Culinary Innovation Chef
Greg Jodrey came to join the SugarCreek Culinary team in 2014. Greg graduated from the Midwest Culinary Institute with a Associates degree in 2011. He was on the fore front of SugarCreek’s progression of being one of the world’s largest sous vide foods manufacturers. Chef Greg devotes his passion for his craft of culinary excellence to drive SugarCreek to be the best food producers in the world.
Chef Nicole Hatfield
Culinary Technologist
Nicole is an accomplished fine dining chef with a degree in Culinary Food Science. Joining the company in 2022 as a Culinary Technologist, she brings a unique blend of culinary artistry and scientific expertise to her work. Chef Nicole’s innovative approach and commitment to excellence bridges the gap between traditional cooking techniques and modern food science delivering safe, innovative, delectable and visually appealing products to consumers.