Head of Strategy chez Harvest Hill Beverage Company

About Harvest Hill:

Harvest Hill Beverage Company is one of the nation’s largest branded beverage producers, delivering consistent annual revenue growth, with sales of just over $1 billion. Our portfolio of iconic brands includes SunnyD®, Juicy Juice®, Veryfine®, Fruit2O®, Little HUG®, Daily’s Cocktails®, and Nutrament®.  We manufacture, market, and distribute across multi-channels including Grocery, Mass Merchandisers, Warehouse Clubs, Convenience, Foodservice, and Liquor Distributors.     

Harvest Hill is headquartered in Stamford, CT with a nationwide network of manufacturing and distribution facilities and over 1,000 employees in the United States.  Harvest Hill is owned by Castillo Hermanos, a family-owned international beverage and food manufacturer based in Guatemala.  Castillo Hermanos has a presence in more than 35 countries and a portfolio of upwards of 75 brands, including Cerveza Gallo® (marketed as Famosa® Beer in the United States), Raptor®, and Del Frutal®.  For more information, visit harvesthill.com and castillohermanos.global.

Position Summary:

Head of Strategy will serve as a key thought partner to the CEO and executive leadership team, responsible for driving enterprise strategy, growth initiatives, and integration activities across the company. This role will lead the design and execution of strategic initiatives that accelerate growth, maximize synergies, and ensure successful integration of acquisitions and joint ventures. The leader will balance market analysis with operational execution, ensuring that strategies are actionable and deliver measurable business impact.

Primary Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with CEO and executive team to define long-term strategic vision, priorities, and growth pathways.
• Develop strategic frameworks, business cases, and board-level presentations to guide decision-making.
• Monitor market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging consumer behaviors to shape enterprise priorities.

Integration & Transformation

• Lead integration strategy and execution for acquisitions, divestitures, and partnerships, including operational, cultural, and organizational alignment.
• Evaluate potential acquisition targets, analyze strategic alignment, financial performance, market positioning, and growth potential to inform investment decisions and support long-term business objectives.
• Establish integration playbooks, KPIs, and governance models to ensure consistent delivery.
• Collaborate with HR and Communications teams to address cultural alignment, talent retention, and change management during post-merger integrations, ensuring smooth transitions and sustained employee engagement across merged entities.

Business Planning & Analytics

• Contribute to annual and long-range planning processes, ensuring strategic alignment with P&L targets.
• Translate enterprise priorities into functional and regional execution roadmaps.
• Act as a bridge between HHBC executive leadership and Castillo Hermanos key executives, ensuring alignment and accountability.
• Build strong external networks (consultants, advisors, investment banks, industry peers) to inform and accelerate strategy execution.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in corporate strategy, M&A integration, management consulting, or general management, preferably in CPG, food & beverage, or manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading integration programs across multiple business units.
• Strong financial acumen, with ability to model synergies, ROI, and portfolio impact.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with credibility to influence C-Suite and Board of Directors.
• Blend of analytical rigor and executional pragmatism; able to move from boardroom strategy to front-line action.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.