Utz Brands Appoints New CFO & Sales Chief

By Tamara Parker • Thursday, April 17 10:13 • Permanent Link

Utz Brands, Inc. has announced the appointment of William J. Kelley Jr. as the new Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer effective May 1, 2025. Kelley will succeed Ajay Kataria, who is stepping down from the role. Kelley, who most recently served as the global CFO at Tropicana Brands Group, Inc., brings a wealth of financial expertise and operational experience from his previous roles at various food and beverage companies.

The company has also announced the retirement of Mark Schreiber, the Executive Vice President of Sales & Chief Customer Officer, effective May 31, 2025. Jeremy Stuart, currently the Senior Vice President of Large Format, will succeed Schreiber. Stuart joined Utz in September 2023 and has steadily taken on additional responsibilities over the past year.

Reaffirming its fiscal year 2025 outlook, Utz projects organic net sales growth of low-single digits, led by branded salty snacks growth and less decline in non-branded & non-salty snacks. The company also expects adjusted EBITDA growth of 6% to 10% and adjusted EPS growth of 10% to 15% for the fiscal year 2025. Additionally, it anticipates an effective tax rate in the range of 17% to 19% and capital expenditures in the range of $90 to $100 million.

For the first quarter of 2025, Utz expects net sales to increase between 1.5% and 1.7% compared to the prior year period, with organic net sales increasing between 2.8% and 3.0%. The company anticipates net income of between $4 million and $6 million and adjusted EBITDA of between $44 million and $46 million for the same period.

The company is set to report its full first-quarter 2025 financial results on May 1, 2025.

Utz Brands, Inc. manufactures a diverse portfolio of savory snacks under popular brands such as Utz, On The Border, Zapp’s, and Boulder Canyon. Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Utz operates multiple manufacturing facilities across the U.S. to serve its growing customer base. Today the company's shares have moved -2.4% to a price of $13.24. For the full picture, make sure to review Utz Brands's 8-K report.

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