Baldor builds senior leadership with two new appointments
Baldor builds senior leadership with two new appointments
Baldor Specialty Foods made two strategic executive additions to the leadership team: Benjamin Walker has been promoted to chief revenue officer and Regina Picciano has joined Baldor as chief people officer. The new positions represent a continued investment in the company’s growth trajectory.
Walker joined the company in 2013 as director of business development, and soon after was promoted to director of marketing and business development. After numerous successful campaigns, he became senior director and vice president before ultimately becoming senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising in 2021.
Among Walker's career achievements are the development of the Baldorfood.com website and ecommerce experience, the pivot to home delivery during COVID, as well as the creation of a marketing function and a revenue organization. In his new role Walker will continue to lead the revenue generating functions of sales, marketing and merchandising while helping to drive the company’s growth strategy and building greater cross-functional collaboration at the highest level.
Picciano has nearly two decades of HR experience — including employee and labor relations, engagement and culture strategies, talent acquisition, and policy and compliance management. Most recently, she was at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, one of the nation’s largest alcohol distributors, where she was vice president of both the HR and sales teams.
Picciano held previous roles at Guardian Life, Coca Cola and Diageo. she has a master’s degree in human resource management from Fordham University. In addition to managing the HR function at Baldor, she will be placing a specific emphasis on supporting and strengthening the company culture, as well as enhancing the company’s relationship with the external community.
“I couldn’t be happier with the leadership team we’ve been building over the last 18 months,” said Baldor CEO TJ Murphy. “Since the moment he got to Baldor, Ben has demonstrated a commitment to our customers. He has driven our company forward again and again with care for the customer at the center of everything he does. This promotion is a natural next step for him. And while Regina comes from outside, her experience at Southern Glazer’s, a beverage distributor to hospitality, is incredibly relevant to us, and she’s demonstrated throughout her career an employee-first mindset. These two hires, in collaboration with our incredible existing team, will help us define the future of Baldor and take advantage of opportunities that lie before us, while keeping us committed to our core values.”
“Over my 11 years at Baldor, I’ve gained a deep understanding of our business, our vendors, and the incredible customers that contribute daily to our success,” said Walker. “As chief revenue officer, my goal is to continue to lead us in a culture of radical hospitality, turning the tables on our customers to ensure their success by providing the best products and best service. We will sharpen our existing offerings and continue to differentiate into new solutions, while also expanding the markets we serve.”
“What drew me to Baldor was the commitment to its employees,” said Picciano. “The culture here is one of high engagement, and that passion is palpable as you walk around the building. I’m excited to collaborate with TJ and the entire leadership team to establish a people strategy that fosters the growth of both the business and our people.”
