Simpactful is thrilled to announce the addition of two exceptional Food & Beverage Commercial leaders, Amy Everhart and Jan PeConga, to its team of Senior Consultants. Their deep expertise in national customer leadership and management includes executive roles with brands like Mondelez, Campbell’s, and Newman’s Own – across retail partners as diverse as Sam’s Club, Kroger, HEB and more. With their combined experience in retail strategy, sales, and business development, Amy and Jan bring invaluable insights and leadership to Simpactful’s growing client base. Their deep expertise in national account management, shopper marketing, and innovative growth strategies strengthens Simpactful’s ability to help clients drive long-term success in the retail and consumer goods sectors.
Amy Everhart: Driving Sales Strategy and Innovation for National Retail Accounts
Amy Everhart brings over 20 years of experience leading National Accounts across a diverse range of categories, including bagged snacks, center store, and frozen foods – with a specialty in navigating the complexities of Kroger and HEB. She has held leadership positions with major CPG companies like Campbell’s, Newman’s Own, Diamond Foods, and Newell Brands, as well as at sales agency powerhouse, Acosta. Most recently, Amy served as Vice President of National Accounts, Sales Strategy, and Shopper Marketing for Benestar Brands, a private equity-backed company, where she played a key role in driving innovation, TDP expansion, and display opportunities. Amy is highly skilled in building robust sales strategies and developing meaningful joint business plans (JBPs) that closely align with the strategies and goals of key grocery retailers.
Throughout her career, Amy has honed her expertise in shopper marketing, leveraging retailer-specific programs to amplify key sales initiatives. She has also led successful private label item launches and worked extensively with key customers like Kroger to execute growth-focused programs. Her deep knowledge of the retail landscape and strategic acumen will help Simpactful clients optimize their sales performance and strengthen partnerships with key retailers. Joining Simpactful is an exciting step for Amy. “Working with Simpactful and the team of manufacturing and retail experts who have worked across all dimensions of commerce was a natural next step in my career. The group has a growing team of Food and Beverage as well as Grocery experts, and it’s been fun to roll up my sleeves on projects with an incredibly experienced team.”
Amy resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Drew, and two children, Will (11) and Claire (8). She spends her free time volunteering within her community and school district and supporting her kids in their various activities. She has also been recognized as a YWCA Rising Star in 2023.
Jan Peconga: Leading Sales Growth and Innovation Across Club and Mass Channels
Jan Peconga joins Simpactful with 40 years of sales leadership experience, and over 20 years of experience at both Mondelez and Kraft, specializing in Club and Mass channels. As the former Director of Sales for Sam’s Club at Mondelez International, Jan was responsible for growing the Nabisco Biscuits and Cadbury Confection portfolios. She has a proven track record of delivering consistent year-over-year growth through strategic planning, customer collaboration, JBP development and execution. She has developed and executed innovation, product, promotion, and marketing plans that resulted in category-leading sales and profitability, leveraging customer and syndicated data to drive insights-led innovation. Jan is a skilled P&L leader who excels in multi-functional collaboration, Omnichannel development, and business integration. She has worked cross-functionally with teams to align KPIs, spur supply chain coordination, and create winning shopper marketing programs. Reflecting on her first year with Simpactful, Jan notes, “Simpactful has been a great way to utilize my skills and partner with a team of experienced retail and line leaders to help untangle business challenges. In every client engagement, I strive to use my frontline experience, provide clients with a strategic approach to channel management and practical approaches to achieve operational excellence, accelerate growth, and optimize their market presence.”
Jan resides in St. Louis and Park City with her husband Geoff and enjoys travel, tennis, hiking and connecting with the kids. She also enjoys giving back. Her volunteer efforts include roles with organizations like Saint Vincent De Paul Society and Operation Food Search.
Expanding Simpactful’s Expertise in Sales Strategy and Retail Innovation
Jill McIntosh, former Kroger Executive and Simpactful Senior Partner, shared her excitement about the new additions: “Amy and Jan bring an impressive wealth of experience in retail strategy and sales leadership for Food and Beverage. Amy’s expertise in the Kroger and HEB national accounts and shopper marketing, combined with Jan’s deep knowledge of Club and Mass channels, will significantly enhance Simpactful’s capabilities in delivering growth-driven solutions for our clients, particularly those in Food and Beverage. Their leadership will be key in helping us continue to provide actionable insights and innovative strategies to achieve transformative results.”
These additions provide greater depth to our Food, Beverage, and Grocery team. We are excited to welcome Amy and Jan to the team!
Ready to Transform Your Business? Simpactful Can Help!
For more information on how Amy and Jan and the rest of our Simpactful team can help drive your business forward, contact us at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394. Visit www.simpactful.com to learn more.