Sun Basket Names New Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Meal kit providers across the market appear to be navigating shaky ground of late, with Plated and Blue Apron both implementing strategies to keep on keeping on. Sun Basket, on the other hand, is hitting its stride, despite the state of the market. This week, the healthy meal delivery service announced its latest strategic move, naming a new Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer: Jessica Jensen and Marc Friend, respectively.
“I’m thrilled to have Jessica and Marc join Sun Basket’s team,” said Adam Zbar, CEO. “Pairing Marc’s extensive background as a strategic CFO and venture investor, alongside Jessica’s deep expertise in brand marketing and the new social economy, I’m excited to work closely with them to make Sun Basket America’s favorite way to eat healthy meals.”
The addition of both Jensen and Friend to Sun Basket’s team comes on the heels of the company’s latest funding round, a Series E aimed at expanding the platform’s omnichannel offerings, according to a press release. Over the last couple of years, Sun Basket has also expanded its distribution reach, with new centers and hubs on the East Coast and in the Midwest.
"It's an honor to join Sun Basket at such an exciting time in its history. With the best product and a massive addressable market, I see a huge opportunity for us to gain significant market share and create the category-defining company," said Jensen. "We already deliver the best healthy meals in the country every day, and I can't wait to lead our amazing marketing team as we expand our product offerings and deliver them to millions more people."
Prior to joining Sun Basket, Jensen led high performance marketing teams at technology companies, including five years at Facebook as its Head of Platforms, Products, and Insights, in which she oversaw B2B marketing for platforms like Instagram and Messenger. She has also served as the Global Head of Product Marketing for Apple’s mobile advertising platforms and as the GM of Yahoo Health and Shine.
Friend also brings a wealth of leadership experience—20 years to be exact—to his new role. Most recently, Friend served as the Chief Financial Officer of PubNub, a SaaS platform focused on managing real-time applications and IoT devices. Prior to PubNub, Friend worked as the Chief Operating Officer at Initio, an enterprise application development platform. In addition, he was a General Partner at Summit Partners and a General Partner at US Venture Partners.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the extremely talented team at Sun Basket and for the opportunity to play an instrumental role in building a fast growth, high profitable business model," said Marc Friend, CFO of Sun Basket. "Innovation and consumer delight are at the forefront of Sun Basket's DNA, and I'm looking forward to getting to work."
As CMO of Sun Basket, Jensen will focus on driving the company’s revenue growth, building the meal delivery service’s brand, and curating new strategic partnerships, while Friend, as CFO, will be responsible for architecting the company's business model, strategic planning, M&A, and fundraising, as well as leading the finance, accounting, and HR operations.
Congratulations to Jessica Jensen and Marc Friend on their new roles! How will Sun Basket’s new Chiefs help drive business forward in the meal kit category? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
