Hostess nabs Kimberly-Clark exec as chief supply chain officer

Hostess Brands will bring on a former Kimberly-Clark executive to lead its supply chain as the Twinkies maker works to recover from production issues due to a lack of ingredients and other delays.

The snack food company said Monday that Adrian Poretti will assume the role of chief supply chain officer effective immediately. Poretti spent nearly 30 years at Kimberly-Clark, most recently serving as vice president, global supply chain capabilities. He also was responsible for managing the Kleenex maker’s North America end-to-end supply chain, overseeing procurement, manufacturing, logistics and transformation programs.

“With his deep industry expertise and global operational experience, Adrian is a great fit for Hostess Brands as we continue our journey of sustainable, long-term growth,” Hostess President and CEO Andy Callahan said in a statement.

Hostess executives said in August that the snack maker has seen production scheduling challenges tied to delays in ingredient deliveries from suppliers. The company has placed an enhanced focus on productivity initiatives to generate cost savings, and it’s looking to boost manufacturing efficiencies and execute on procurement savings opportunities according to a slideshow presented at the Global Consumer Staples Conference earlier this month.

Poretti will replace Gary Schmidt, who served as Hostess’ interim chief supply chain officer since January 2022. Schmidt, who will now report to Poretti, will still oversee the company’s operations and engineering teams.

Kimberly-Clark announced earlier this month that it hired former 3M executive Tamera Fenske to become chief supply chain officer effective Sept. 19.