Executive Officers
Wendy P. Davidson has been our President and Chief Executive Officer and a director since January 2023. Prior to joining the Company, she served as President-Americas for the Performance Nutrition segment of Glanbia plc, an Ireland-based global nutrition company, from November 2020 to November 2022. Prior to joining Glanbia, Ms. Davidson served as President, Away From Home (formerly U.S. Specialty Channels), of Kellogg Company, a global manufacturer and marketer of snacks and convenience foods, from 2013 to October 2020. From 2010 to 2013, she served in various senior roles at McCormick & Company, Inc., including as Vice President, Custom Flavor Solutions, U.S. & Latin America, and from 1993 to 2009 she held a variety of executive positions at Tyson Foods, Inc., including Senior Vice President and General Manager – Global McDonald’s Business Unit and Group Vice President – Foodservice Group, culminating in her service as Senior Vice President and General Manager – Prepared Foods. Ms. Davidson serves on the boards of several industry associations and non-profit organizations, including the Consumer Brands Association, NextUp and the Luther College Board of Regents.
Ms. Davidson is a graduate of Luther College with a B.A. degree in Political Science and Sociology and completed Harvard Business School’s two-year executive program.
Christopher J. Bellairs joined The Hain Celestial Group in January 2022 and serves as Chief Financial Officer. Bellairs brings to Hain deep industry experience and strong executive leadership in corporate finance, financial planning, commercial finance, strategy and operation.
Before joining Hain Celestial, Bellairs served as the Chief Financial Officer of Stone Brewing, a California-based craft brewery with nationwide and international distribution. Prior to joining Stone Brewing, he held roles of increasing responsibility at Dean Foods Company, recently acquired by the Dairy Farmers of America.
Bellairs received his MBA from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame.
Wolfgang Goldenitsch joined The Hain Celestial Group in July 2015, and was named the Chief Executive Officer of Hain International in January 2019. Goldenitsch is a global executive with decades of experience across Europe within the consumer packaged goods industry. He currently oversees Hain’s international brands, including several that lead in their respective categories.
Goldenitsch previously served as CEO of the Mona Group, a manufacturer of plant-based foods and beverages with facilities in Germany and Austria, which was acquired by Hain Celestial in July 2015.
Goldenitsch earned a doctorate in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Austria.
Kristy M. Meringolo joined The Hain Celestial Group in April 2017, and serves as Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer. She oversees all legal and corporate affairs, including corporate compliance initiatives, and is the executive sponsor for the company’s corporate ESG program.
Meringolo has a successful track record of providing strategic legal advice to global consumer brands, and holding responsibility for oversight, representation, and counsel in connection with litigation and government investigations.
Prior to joining Hain Celestial, Meringolo was Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Avon, a multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance and personal care company.
Meringolo is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.
Senior Management
JoAnn Murray joined The Hain Celestial Group as Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2020. In this role, Murray is responsible for executing human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction. She has been an integral part of the company’s business and cultural transformation.
Prior to joining Hain, Murray served as Chief Human Resources Officer at media giant Conde Nast, home to many iconic publishing brands. Previously, she held leadership roles at Reader’s Digest, a multiplatform media company with a portfolio of high-profile properties and products. In addition, she served in leadership roles at major CPG companies Cadbury and PepsiCo.
Murray holds a bachelor’s degree from Pace University and is actively involved in a number of not-for-profits dedicated to health, wellness, and the advancement of women in leadership.
Mark Cuddigan was named by The Hain Celestial Group to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Ella's Kitchen in December 2014. Cuddigan oversees Ella’s Kitchen, a leading purpose-driven international baby food brand, which is sold in more than 33 countries and is a Certified B Corporation. As a member of the B Lab board, a UK registered charity that supports certified B Corporations in the UK, Cuddigan’s advocacy for sustainable practices led to Ella’s committing to becoming a net zero business by 2030.
Cuddigan has been involved in the Consumer Goods space for nearly 30 years.
He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Leicester.
Ken Thomas joined The Hain Celestial Group in June 2020 as the Chief Information Officer. Since joining, he has added responsibility for Shared Services and Corporate Program Management Office, being named Chief Information Officer and Head of Business Services in February 2023.
Prior to joining Hain, Thomas was the Chief Information Officer at McCormick & Co., overseeing global IT. There he led several roll-outs of SAP and integration of acquisitions both domestically and throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia. Prior to his 15+ years in IT, Thomas held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility within Supply Chain, Finance, and Sales & Marketing.
Thomas received his MBA from Loyola University Maryland where he is an Advisory Board Member for Information Systems and Operations Management. He also earned a Leadership Certification from The Wharton School in 2015.
Steve Golliher joined The Hain Celestial Group in August 2021 as the Senior Vice President of the Supply Chain and was recently named Chief Supply Chain Officer. In his current capacity, Golliher’s role has expanded to implementing cost-savings solutions, addressing supply chain challenges, and introducing lean operating principles to the supply chain infrastructure.
Prior to joining Hain, Golliher served as Vice President of Supply Chain at PepsiCo, overseeing the mid-America region at Frito-Lay. There he led and championed transformational programs and business plans, leading five manufacturing facilities, seven plant warehouses, and 22 distribution centers across multiple states.
Golliher received his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and his undergraduate degree from Indiana State University.
Ari Labell joined The Hain Celestial Group in June 2017 and was recently named Chief Growth Officer, NA. In this role, Labell is responsible for all sales, marketing, and go-to-market accountability for the North America business. His prior responsibilities have included co-leading Hain’s US sales organization and overseeing commercial strategy and go-to-market capabilities.
Prior to joining Hain Celestial, Labell served as the vice president of sales at Safilo, an Italian company that designs, produces and distributes eyewear. Previously, Labell held sales and marketing leadership positions at Unilever, managing a team of 300 and overseeing more than $2.6 billion in annual revenue.
Labell received a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University.
Arlene Karan joined The Hain Celestial Group in August 2022 as the Senior Vice President R&D for North America and was recently named Chief Research & Development Officer. Her primary accountabilities include leading the R&D organization and co-leading Hain’s innovation strategy and process.
Prior to joining Hain, Karan served as Senior Vice President of R&D and Quality on the Executive Leadership Team at Weston Foods, a North American bakery company. There she led a multidiscipline team to build R&D and Innovation capability, strengthen customer relationships and rebuild Quality programs across the manufacturing network. Previously, she held leadership roles at Campbells, where she grew her career in both R&D and Operations.
Karan received her Masters degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada.