Flowers Foods Announces Dissolution of Chief Growth Officer Role and Leadership Restructuring
Key Points for Investors
- Departure of Chief Growth Officer: Terry Thomas, Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Flowers Foods, will step down and the CGO role will be dissolved.
- Strategic Integration: The growth capabilities established under Thomas’s leadership will be integrated into the ongoing business structure.
- Leadership Realignment: Mark Courtney, Chief Brand Officer and a 43-year company veteran, will expand his responsibilities and report directly to CEO Ryals McMullian.
- Operational Adjustments: This change complements recent operational reorganizations under President and COO Heeth Varnedoe, including the appointment of a Chief DSD Operations Officer and new divisional structure for geographic P&L execution.
- Financials: Flowers Foods posted \$5.3 billion in sales in 2025, with a brand portfolio including Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Canyon Bakehouse, Wonder Bread, Tastykake, and Simple Mills.
- Forward-Looking Risk Factors: The company outlined a broad range of factors that could impact future performance, including competitive pressures, supply chain risks, changing consumer preferences, regulatory changes, and technology implementation risks.
Detailed Report
THOMASVILLE, Ga., March 30, 2026 – Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO), one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the U.S., has announced a significant leadership change. Terry Thomas, who was appointed as Chief Growth Officer in 2023 to accelerate the company’s growth capabilities and develop new competencies, will be stepping down from his position. The role of Chief Growth Officer will be dissolved as the company transitions these capabilities into its core business operations.
Ryals McMullian, Chairman and CEO, praised Thomas’s contributions, stating, “Terry has brought tremendous energy, leadership, and experience to our organization. Under his leadership, the role of chief growth officer has fulfilled its purpose, advancing growth for our leading brand portfolio through an expanded innovation pipeline, strengthened customer relationships, and new category and revenue management insights and capabilities. We appreciate Terry’s contributions and wish him continued success.”
With the dissolution of the CGO role, Mark Courtney, Chief Brand Officer and a 43-year company veteran, will now report directly to McMullian. Courtney, who has overseen the company’s major brands since 2020, will add responsibility for retail customer sales, innovation, and revenue management to his portfolio. “Mark is a deeply experienced, long-tenured, and highly respected member of our leadership team. I have full confidence in his ability to lead our brand and growth efforts as we continue to strengthen Flowers’ position in the marketplace,” McMullian said.
This leadership change is part of a broader organizational restructuring. Recently, Flowers Foods made additional changes within its operations organization under President and COO Heeth Varnedoe. This included the appointment of David Roach as Chief DSD (Direct Store Delivery) Operations Officer and the establishment of a new divisional structure to enhance geographic profit and loss (P&L) execution. These moves are designed to position Flowers for future growth by pairing a brand-led marketing and sales organization with an operational team optimized for marketplace execution.
Flowers Foods, headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, operates bakeries across the country and reported \$5.3 billion in sales for 2025. The company’s top brands include Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Canyon Bakehouse, Wonder, Tastykake, Mrs. Freshley’s, and Simple Mills.
Important Information for Shareholders
- Price-Sensitive Implications: The dissolution of a C-suite role and integration of its responsibilities may signal to the market that Flowers Foods has matured its growth initiatives enough to embed them into daily operations, potentially improving efficiency and reducing executive overhead.
- Leadership Stability: The appointment of a long-serving executive, Mark Courtney, to oversee both brand and growth functions may provide reassurance to investors about continuity and experienced leadership.
- Operational Realignment: The combination of brand-led growth with an optimized operational structure is designed to support sustained performance; however, it also introduces execution risk during the transition period.
- Forward-Looking Risks: The company highlighted numerous risks including changes in the competitive landscape, supply chain disruptions, regulatory and legal risks, evolving consumer preferences, labor issues, and risks related to technology and climate change. Shareholders should monitor for any developments in these areas, as any materialization could impact company performance and share price.
Forward-Looking Statements and Risks
Flowers Foods cautions investors that this press release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These include economic and business conditions, competition, supply chain factors, labor issues, legal proceedings, disruptive events (such as natural disasters or cyber-attacks), and the company’s ability to achieve its strategic and operational goals.
Investor Contacts
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors are encouraged to review the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other official disclosures for a comprehensive assessment of risks and company performance. The information herein is based on publicly available data as of March 30, 2026, and may be subject to change without notice.
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