John Brase
President and Chief Operating Officer
“I’ve never seen a strategy that didn’t look great on paper. What distinguishes great companies is the ability to translate those strategies into clear, actionable plans and then execute flawlessly.”
A veteran consumer packaged goods executive with extensive experience in managing end-to-end business operations across diverse product categories. John is a passionate leader who has a proven track record of delivering sustained growth and positively impacting all those connected to the businesses he oversees.
Providing holistic operational leadership across diverse packaged goods categories requires a commitment to managing all aspects of the business with excellence - from delivering responsible procurement and manufacturing processes, to maintaining strong customer partnerships and ultimately ensuring that the customer is delighted. It also requires a deep passion to inspire and develop teams. John Brase, President and Chief Operating Officer, enthusiastically embraces these challenges and the opportunity to help lead the Company’s continued efforts to realize its growth objectives.
Through his 30+ years of experience, John has delivered significant brand and category growth, including managing profit and loss responsibility for some of the largest CPG brands in North America.
In his current role, John has strategic oversight of the U.S. Coffee, Frozen Handheld and Spreads, Pet and Sweet Baked Snacks businesses as well as the Company’s Operations and Supply Chain functions.
Prior to joining Smucker, John held positions of increasing responsibility at Procter & Gamble, including leadership roles in sales, marketing, and brand management. Most recently, John served as Vice President and General Manager for P&G’s $6 billion North America Family Care business.
In addition to his professional leadership, John has been active in the community and with industry organizations. This includes serving on the University of Missouri Marketing Advisory Board; establishing and leading a “Success to Significance” Leader’s Group, which supports business leaders’ efforts to maximize their impact in the community; and acting as board president for One City for Recovery, an organization assisting the fight against opiate addiction.
John graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor of science in business administration in marketing & logistics. He also holds an MBA from St. Louis University.