Rocky Mountain Chocolate Appoints Industry Veteran and Board Director Starlette B. Johnson as Interim Chief Executive Officer
January 29 2024 - 9:00AM
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (Nasdaq: RMCF) (the
“Company”, “we”, “RMC”, or “Rocky Mountain Chocolate”), an
international franchisor and producer of premium chocolates and
other confectionery products including gourmet caramel apples,
today announced that the Board of Directors (“Board”) has appointed
Starlette B. Johnson to the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer
(“CEO”).
Ms. Johnson has been a director on the RMC Board
since March 2023. She brings more than thirty years of success in
customer-facing retail businesses, including pivotal leadership
experience in the franchise restaurant and hospitality sectors. Ms.
Johnson began her hospitality career as Director of Finance at
PepsiCo’s KFC division, and later held leadership positions with
global brands included serving as President and Chief Operating
Officer of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ: PLAY) and
Executive VP and Chief Strategic Officer at Brinker International
(NYSE: EAT). She has also served on the Board of Directors for
numerous companies, including Bojangles’ (previously NASDAQ: BOJA),
Chuy’s Holdings (NASDAQ: CHUY), and privately-held SusieCakes. Ms.
Johnson received an MBA from Duke University and a B.S. in Finance
from Virginia Tech.
“Starlette is an industry renowned business
leader and strategist,” said Jeff Geygan, RMC Board Chair. “Her
results-oriented leadership style and expertise with franchise
brands make her an ideal fit to lead RMC as the Board conducts its
search for a permanent CEO.”
Mr. Geygan continued, “On behalf of the Board, I
would like to thank Rob Sarlls for his contributions to Rocky
Mountain Chocolate since joining the executive team in May 2022. We
achieved several important milestones under his leadership,
including the sale of RMC’s non-core U-Swirl business and the
relocation of consumer packaging operations. We wish him well in
his future endeavors.”
“I am honored to be entrusted by the Board
during this transitionary period,” said Starlette Johnson, RMC
Interim CEO. “The broader leadership team has been meticulously
constructed to align with the needs of RMC’s Strategic
Transformation Plan. Their collective wisdom will be an invaluable
asset as we maintain a strong presence in the city of Durango and
work to return Rocky Mountain Chocolate to growth and profitability
in Fiscal 2025.”
About Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory,
Inc.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. (dba
“Rocky Mountain Chocolate”) is an international franchiser of
premium chocolate and confection stores, and a producer of an
extensive line of premium chocolates and other confectionery
products, including gourmet caramel apples. Rocky Mountain
Chocolate was named one of America’s Best on Newsweek's list of
"America's Best Retailers 2023" in the chocolate and candy stores
category. The Company is headquartered in Durango, Colorado. Its
subsidiaries, franchisees and licensees currently operate over 260
Rocky Mountain Chocolate stores across the United States, with
several international locations. The Company's common stock is
listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "RMCF."
Investor Contact
Sean Mansouri, CFAElevate IR720-330-2829RMCF@elevate-ir.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0d41a14-63de-4d38-822a-b2bac197da44
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