Our Culture

Gifford brings a customer-centric perspective to Finlays Solutions’ growth strategy, helping guide the company as it builds deeper partnerships and explores new opportunities in the beverage space. Known for his mix of curiosity and customer obsession, Gifford believes growth happens when you truly understand what customers are trying to achieve—and work alongside them to make it possible. His collaborative, customer-first approach is helping shape the next chapter of Finlays Solutions’ evolution.

His passion for bringing out the best in people and ideas defines the way he leads. Gifford blends thoughtful strategy with a genuine focus on human connection, looking for opportunities that create real, lasting value on both sides of the partnership. Whether he’s charting new paths forward or strengthening the foundation already in place, Gifford’s work reflects a commitment to meaningful relationships, smart innovation, and growth that feels both purposeful and achievable.

Kathleen Timperman leads R&D and innovation with a clear purpose: create consumer- and category-driven beverage innovations that customers get excited about and teams are proud to see on shelves. Drawn to Finlays Solutions by the strength of the portfolio and the chance to shape what comes next, she’s focused on building a best-in-class technical organization—growing talent, advancing research programs, and strengthening the innovation pipeline.

A strategic, craft-respecting leader, Kathleen pushes for “seriously delicious” products that balance modern functionality with natural integrity and clean-label expectations. She’s steering a technology roadmap anchored in bold “North Star” ambitions, expanding external partnerships, and deepening marketing-R&D collaboration to bring smarter, faster, more customer-centric innovation to market.

Sandra Bushati leads Finlays Solutions’ people strategy with a clear belief: ambitious business results begin with people. As the company grows and evolves, she is focused on building the leadership strength, workforce capabilities, and culture needed to turn that ambition into lasting performance. Drawing on HR leadership experience across food and beverage manufacturing, Sandra understands how talent, culture, and organizational discipline can come together to create a meaningful business advantage.

A strategic and people-centered leader, Sandra is passionate about creating an environment where employees can grow, leaders feel empowered, and teams are connected by a shared purpose. Through talent strategy, workforce planning, employee development, and scalable people practices, she is helping advance a unified “One Finlays” culture—building an organization that can navigate change, develop exceptional talent, and scale successfully for the future.

Michael Leahy brings an entrepreneur’s perspective to building organizations people want to work for, customers want to partner with, and communities can believe in. As Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, he helps protect and advance Finlays Solutions’ reputation by connecting the company’s purpose with how it communicates, builds relationships, shapes its culture, and shows up for its stakeholders.

Having spent more than two decades helping lead and transform Leahy-IFP, Michael believes enduring businesses are built through equal investment in people, culture, and customer relationships. At Finlays Solutions, he brings that philosophy to communications, public policy, brand, culture, and sustainability—helping ensure the company’s actions and messages remain aligned while strengthening relationships, fostering innovation, and creating lasting value for employees, customers, and communities.

Lance Lochner leads transformation at Finlays Solutions with a focus on turning big ambitions into meaningful, measurable progress. As Chief Transformation Officer, he connects the company’s long-range strategy with the priorities, capabilities, and cross-functional execution required to bring it to life. His approach is grounded in the belief that transformation works best when people understand where they’re going, why it matters, and how to move forward together.

With experience spanning management consulting and transformation leadership across food distribution and manufacturing, Lance has built his career around helping organizations translate strategy into action. At Finlays Solutions, he brings together diverse teams, data-driven insight, and disciplined execution across strategy, portfolio management, and organizational change—helping the business prioritize what matters most, adapt with confidence, and turn its long-term vision into lasting value.

Jenny Dresse brings more than three decades of global experience helping food and beverage organizations build trust through quality, food safety, and regulatory excellence. Throughout her career, she has helped companies navigate complex regulatory environments, strengthen operational performance, and create sustainable growth by making quality a strategic business advantage. Jenny believes that exceptional products start with a culture where quality, food safety, and continuous improvement are shared responsibilities, and she is passionate about helping organizations embed those principles into the way they operate.

As Vice President of Quality for Finlays Solutions, Jenny champions an approach that connects product integrity, customer confidence, and business success. Her experience leading global quality transformations, governance initiatives, digital quality systems, and capability-building programs across multiple countries and cultures gives her a broad perspective on how businesses can manage risk, support innovation, and create lasting value. Known for her collaborative leadership style and commitment to developing high-performing teams, Jenny is dedicated to ensuring quality serves not only as a safeguard, but as a driver of growth, resilience, and long-term competitive advantage.

Brent Fayhee brings a business-minded approach to finance, using financial insight not simply to measure performance, but to help shape what comes next. As Chief Financial Officer, he is focused on giving Finlays Solutions the clarity, discipline, and perspective needed to make confident decisions, invest behind the right opportunities, and build a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

With deep experience in the beverage industry and leadership roles spanning finance and operations, Brent brings a perspective that extends well beyond the numbers. He sees finance as a strategic partner to the business—bringing rigor to complex decisions while helping teams understand the opportunities behind them. At Finlays Solutions, he is helping ensure financial strategy enables ambition, giving the organization the visibility and discipline to grow thoughtfully, execute effectively, and create lasting value.

Darnell Ross leads with a vision rooted in empowerment and innovation. As CEO, he draws on more than 20 years of leadership experience across sales, operations, and executive roles to create an environment where people thrive—where bold ideas and collaboration drive meaningful progress. For Darnell, leadership is about more than operational success; it’s about inspiring teams to think differently and equipping them with the tools to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

An entrepreneur at heart, Darnell believes adaptability and mental agility are essential for growth, and he champions these qualities across the organization. His approach blends strategic foresight with trust, ensuring every team has the resources and confidence to deliver on ambitious goals.

From his early days as a restaurant owner to managing strategic partnerships with global brands, Darnell’s career reflects a commitment to building strong relationships and navigating complexity with clarity. Today, he channels that experience into shaping Finlays Solutions’ future—aligning innovation, customer-centricity, and operational excellence to create beverage solutions that delight consumers and strengthen customer brands.