Hickey previously held positions as CEO of No Cow and The Isopure Company. During his first three years at The Isopure Company, Hickey was instrumental in doubling the size of the business, resulting in the company's sale to Irish ingredients company Glanbia.
Prior to his CEO roles, Hickey held a senior position at Exos, as well as several marketing leadership positions at General Mills, Coors Molson, and Abbott Nutrition. He holds a BS in Accounting from Villanova University and a MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
In his new role, Hickey will work in tandem with the company's three co-founders to accelerate the growth of the brand. He is expected to leverage his extensive industry background and resources to manage key relationships with stakeholders, retailers and brand partners as the business grows and scales.
Kalahari Biltong was founded in 2015 by Tyler Noyes, Brett Johnston, and Robinson Ginsburg, following a trip to South Africa and their introduction to biltong. Kalahari Biltong previously closed a seed investment from AccelFoods in October 2017 and has since experienced 500% year-over-year growth in 2018.
“When we were looking for an additional team member to add to our family, we knew we wanted someone who was thoughtful, like-minded, and had experience that we did not have to help us navigate uncharted waters as we continue to rapidly grow - and Chris is just the right person,” said Tyler Noyes, co-founder of Kalahari Biltong. “We sought an equal partner who would add value and bring new skill sets to the table as we continue to make our vision a reality. With his incredible track record of growing high-profile brands, we are confident that Chris' expertise will lead us in the right direction.”
“The founders of Kalahari Biltong have started an incredible brand through meticulous attention to making the very best-tasting, nutritionally on-trend snack product on the market and I'm thrilled to be joining a team with such phenomenal passion and conviction,” said Hickey. “As this will mark my third time as CEO, I've learned many lessons along the way and am pumped to work hand-in-hand with Tyler, Brett, and Robin to continue to build this remarkable brand, grow our team, build best-in-class partnerships, and introduce consumers to biltong.”