LENEXA, KAN. — Darryl Riley has been named to the newly created position of chief sustainability officer at Hostess Brands, Inc. Mr. Riley most recently was senior vice president of quality, food safety and research and development since December 2016.
In his new role, Mr. Riley will expand the company’s capabilities to develop and execute strategies to drive its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) objectives and initiatives. He also will lead efforts to develop awareness, education, training, and measurement programs that inspire employees to embrace sustainability and further integrate ESG into the company culture.
Prior to joining Hostess Brands, Mr. Riley was president of Total Food Safety Management LLC. Earlier, he held a variety of roles at Kraft Heinz and Kellogg Co.
He received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“As Hostess Brands continues to focus on building a socially responsible, modern-day snacking powerhouse, we believe dedicating an executive leadership position to sustainability will drive continued progress and integration,” said Andrew P. Callahan, president and chief executive officer. “With his deep industry expertise and operational experience, Darryl is the ideal leader to help us integrate our sustainability-first approach with our sustainable profitable growth mindset.”
Hostess Brands also announced that Mike Cramer, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, will transfer ESG responsibilities to Mr. Riley. Hostess Brands credited Mr. Cramer with helping to establish the company’s corporate sustainability framework, including its corporate responsibility reports in 2021 and 2022. Mr. Cramer will continue to be a member of the leadership team with primary responsibility for government and labor relations, mergers and acquisitions, along with special projects for the CEO and the board of directors.
“Mike’s contributions to building the modern-day Hostess Brands since our 2013 relaunch under a bold new vision and operating model have been immeasurable, and we are fortunate to have Mike’s knowledge and wisdom as we continue our growth journey,” Mr. Callahan said.
Mr. Cramer has held his current role since 2013. Prior to that, he held various executive roles with several private and public consumer products companies, including Pabst Brewing Co., Pinnacle Foods, Ghirardelli Chocolate, International Home Foods and The Morningstar Group. He also was the president and chief operating officer of Southwest Sports Group and president and COO of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars.
He is a senior fellow in the College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin and received his juris doctor degree at Marquette University Law School.
