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CPG News Roundup - September 12 - 18 2025

Introduction

Executive reshuffles and category bets dominated mid-September. Beauty players made notable leadership moves (Glossier’s next chief, Unilever’s new CFO), Gap doubled down on category expansion via seasoned advisors, and Gen-Z beauty darlings explored aging-up strategies. In beverage, Wandering Bear pushed into high-protein coffee with a Whole Foods exclusive, while Stoli Group deepened its stake in zero-proof via The Pathfinder. On the enablement side, Iris raised fresh capital to build AI-native finance tooling for CPG operators. Together, these moves point to a market prioritizing operational discipline, diversified growth engines, and products that speak to function as much as flavor or fun.

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Bubble Was Built on Gen Z. Now, It Must Grow Up.

Bubble, the colorful, affordable skincare line, is widening its target beyond teens and early-20s shoppers. It tapped actress Leighton Meester (39) as its first celebrity ambassador to broaden generational appeal while rolling out products aimed at adult skin concerns (e.g., a moisturizing eye cream) and emphasizing clinical claims in merchandising and packaging. 

The brand reportedly hired an investment bank to evaluate future options and is balancing playful branding with efficacy messaging as Gen Z ages into “serious skincare.” Comparable youth-centric peers are also evolving: Byoma’s sale to Bansk are cited as markers of the trend. 

Khloud Names Jeff Rubenstein As CEO

Protein snack brand Khloud appointed Jeff Rubenstein (former Poppi president & CGO) as CEO five months after launch, aligning leadership with an aggressive retail rollout. The company announced upcoming launches at Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and Ahold this fall. 

Coverage notes the appointment is intended to accelerate retail expansion and portfolio growth as the brand scales distribution. 

Unilever Names Srinivas Phatak Chief Financial Officer

Unilever  named Srinivas Phatak (53) as CFO on Sept. 16, elevating a 25-year company veteran who had served as acting CFO since February. The appointment follows leadership shifts in which Fernando Fernandez moved from CFO to CEO. Unilever highlighted Phatak’s mandate during an organizational refresh, including the planned ice cream spinoff this year and a push for volume growth and margin expansion. 

Gap Taps Reed Krakoff and John Demsey to Lead Push Into Accessories and Beauty

Gap Inc.  enlisted Reed Krakoff (executive director, accessories) and John Demsey (executive director, beauty) as consultants to drive new growth categories. Plans include launching beauty at Old Navy this fall in 150 stores, a Gap-branded beauty line in 2026, and phased accessories rollouts (handbags, jewelry, leather goods) across the portfolio. Deb Redmond (GM, beauty) and Michele Parsons (GM, accessories) will oversee execution. 

Iris Raises $6.2M To Expand CPG-Focused Financial Platform

Iris Finance (AI-native FP&A/CFO platform for physical-goods brands) raised $6.2M seed led by Glasswing Ventures (with Founder Collective, HPA, and existing backers). The company says it surpassed seven figures in ARR within its first year and has onboarded hundreds of CPG brands; funds will accelerate product development and go-to-market. 

Additional trade coverage underscores the CPG-specific positioning and automation ambitions for forecasting, margins, and working-capital decisions. 

Iced Coffee Photo

Wandering Bear Launches High-Protein Cold Brew As Whole Foods Exclusive

Wandering Bear debuted its first canned drink, a dairy-based cold brew latte with 11g of protein per 8-oz can, sold exclusively at Whole Foods Market. The national rollout launched Sept. 16 with an MSRP around $3.99 per can, per the company’s announcement. 

Trade and social posts highlight the “first canned product” milestone and confirm the functional positioning (protein + coffee). Whole Foods’ product search pages list Vanilla, Double, and Mocha High-Protein Cold Brew Latte variants. 

Stoli Group Backs The Pathfinder in $3.6M Raise, Accelerating Zero-Proof Expansion

The Pathfinder (non-alcoholic “Hemp and Root” elixir and RTDs) closed a $3.6M Series B led by Stoli Group (news dated Sept. 10). Proceeds will expand US distribution and team; the brand targets availability in 41 states by year-end and cites Whole Foods, Total Wine & More, and Sprouts as retail partners. Recent innovation includes 200ml RTDs (Spritz and a non-carbonated Negroni), with a coffee-based RTD coming this fall. The company reports 82% velocity and 181% sales dollar growth in the latest quarter (NIQ/IRI, 13 weeks ending June 14). 

What This Means for the Industry

Leadership for Discipline and Category Offense

Unilever’s permanent CFO appointment signals a return to execution basics—margin, volume, and portfolio clarity—as it readies the ice cream spin-off. Glossier naming a seasoned operator in Colin Walsh suggests founder-era darlings want grown-up P&L stewardship to scale beyond a hero SKU or aesthetic. Both moves underscore operational discipline as the macro backdrop stays choppy. 

Retailers Want Multipurpose “Aisle Builders”

Gap’s beauty/accessories push at Old Navy (150 stores this fall) and a Gap-branded line for 2026 captures the need for basket-builders that travel across channels. Expect more private-label-adjacent beauty, accessories, and wellness offerings at mass apparel retailers as they chase new margin pools and gifting adjacency. 

Gen Z Brands Are Aging Up—Without Losing the Fun

Bubble’s Meester campaign shows youth brands are reframing for older skin concerns while keeping playful DNA. The takeaway: efficacy + joy beats either/or, and celebrity nostalgia can bridge demographics—useful for brands confronting cohort maturation. 

Functional Is Eating “Flavor”: Protein, Caffeine, and Alcohol-Free

Wandering Bear’s protein latte and The Pathfinder’s zero-proof RTDs reflect a function-forward wave: caffeine with protein for satiety or non-alc cocktails with credible flavor builds. Look for hybrid benefits (energy + macros, ritual + sobriety) and increasing space for better-for-you RTDs in grocery and specialty retail. 

Tools That Make CFO-Grade Decisions Mainstream

Iris’s raise speaks to the rising demand for real-time, AI-assisted FP&A in brands with complex omni-channel data. Expect mainstream adoption of tooling that surfaces pricing, inventory, and cash-flow calls weekly—not just at month-end—especially as retailers tighten terms and tariffs/inputs stay volatile. 

Conclusion

Mid-September’s moves centered on execution and expansion: install the operators, widen the categories, grow with generational cohorts, and ship products that deliver utility (protein, zero-proof) as much as delight. For CPG leaders, the playbook is clarifying—professionalize the org, diversify the mix, and use AI-native tooling to make faster, better decisions. The brands that match disciplined operations with consumer-centric innovation will be best positioned heading into Q4.

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Colin Nolan

Executive Vice President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

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“Protis Global’s approach to talent acquisition is marked by diligence, transparency, and a genuine dedication to client satisfaction. Their strategic insights and personalized service have made a substantial impact on our organization, ensuring that we always have the best professionals driving our initiatives forward. The team at Protis Global demonstrates a keen ability to identify individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also align seamlessly with our company culture.”

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Hilal Tabsh

Chief Revenue Officer, Glass House Brands

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“Over the last 10+ years my experience with Michael Bitar and the Protis Global team has been exceptional across multiple industries. Michael and his team work to get to the true needs of my hiring plan and partner with us throughout the process. They understand our business, company culture, what success looks like, and then propose candidates that will produce results while also fitting into our team dynamic. Overall it’s a great team and experience and I would recommend to anyone looking to hire top-notch quality candidates reach out to Protis Global and Michael Bitar.”

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Peter Iglesias

Chief Executive Officer, Bespoken Spirits

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“I highly recommend Protis Global as a top-notch recruiting agency. I have had the pleasure of working with them for the past 15 years, both as a candidate and employer in the Spirits and Wine industry. In my 25 years of experience, I have found Protis Global to be the most efficient and effective recruiting agency I have ever dealt with. Protis Global has consistently come through for me in the clutch, providing exceptional professionalism and execution in job searches and placements. Their dedication to finding the right fit for both candidates and employers sets them apart from other agencies. I have always been impressed by their ability to understand the needs of both parties and successfully connect them in a timely manner.”

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Soley Van Lokeren

SVP, People

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“I have been in the field of human resources for over thirty years, in executive level roles both in-house and in outsourced positions. Michael Bitar is my favorite talent acquisition professional with which I have ever worked. He cares deeply about building a relationship with his clients, learning their business, culture, challenges, and truly understanding the needs of a role requisition. His approach is mirrored by the rest of the Protis team, who are courteous, thorough, and who make you feel like you are their only client. Protis successfully delivered hires for our Chief Commercial Officer role and for three key challenging roles (in both Marketing and Sales). They are simply – the best!”

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Brian Kuz

Chief Sales Officer

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“Protis is unique in their go-to-market strategy in that they not only find the right candidate for the role, but they find the right opportunity and company for the candidate. Protis Global looks for people who are ready to make a change...I will continue to recommend Protis Global as one of the best placement agencies in the World, as I have worked on every continent and have dealt with the big executive placement firms and the boutique ones. Protis shines above all, and as long as I am hiring, I will continue to go to Protis Global first, if not exclusively.”

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Chris Hall

CEO, poppi

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“Partnering with Protis Global has been a game-changer for poppi. They understood our vision and the unique challenges we faced as a rapidly growing brand. Their expertise in executive search helped us find the right leaders who not only fit our culture but also brought the skills and passion needed to drive accelerated growth. The Protis Global team actively took our feedback and adapted the search so that we could focus on what we do best – creating innovative, healthy beverages that our customers love. They’ve truly become an extension of our team, and we couldn’t imagine achieving our success without the team members they helped us to bring aboard.”

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Chad Palma

President of Sales, Spindrift

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“Michael Bitar and the Protis team have been such a pleasure to work with over the years. Not only do they do amazing work with recruiting but we have also developed a partnership between our two companies. Michael and his team provide a crucial role in reviewing my hiring needs at the beginning of each year. Once the review is complete, Michael begins searching for quality candidates that fit the role and culture for Spindrift. He and his team do an outstanding job of finding the right candidates for the position in need. I highly recommend Michael and the Protis team for your hiring needs.”

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John Sacksteder

President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc

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“From the start, the relationship with Protis Global was different than other recruiting firms.  The team had a deeper level of commitment and desire to learn about our business than I had experienced with other firms. Our company was experiencing a time of exponential growth and our staffing needs were complex. We needed very experienced people across every possible function in the Operation and Supply Chain Teams and we needed them in a hurry. The Protis Global Team mobilized quickly and established a methodology to identify strong candidates and work them through the interview process in a professional and timely manner. Their grit, determination, understanding our needs and culture, sense of urgency and drive to exceed our expectations set them apart from the pack.”

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Thomas Frisch

Chief People Officer at IJW Whiskey

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“The team worked quickly and efficiently to find a unique position.”

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Kim Nguyen

VP of Supply Chain at Lallemand

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Everyone involved was extremely helpful - Gary, Michael, Ben - thank you!! The team didn't only search for candidates based on the job description, but also the qualities that I look for in candidates. 

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Shashank Gaur

VP of Product Technology & Innovation

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The interview process was smooth and extremely professional. Ben and team represented me as much as they represented the company. 

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Jeremy Schulman

Regional Business Manager - Foodservice

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Consistent communication, updates, and detailed knowledge of the client. The whole experience was top notch!

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Blake T. Bermingham

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Very simplistic process finding the right role for the right candidate...keep up the great work! 

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Don Stohrer Jr.

CEO, Arla Foods USA

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“We’ve been a Protis Global client for eight years, and during this time have always appreciated the thoroughness of the recruitment process, as the candidates brought to us have been well-vetted, not only from a competency perspective, but more importantly from a [cultural] fit dynamic. Mike and the team have always been highly engaged to ensure they bring us candidates that match our culture. That’s been critical to the success of the candidates that have landed here by way of our relationship with Protis.”

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Alaa Selim

VP of HR, Solaris Paper

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“Many thanks to the team, not only for identifying and placing excellent candidates but also for the Protis Global team’s professionalism and efficiency in the overall sourcing process. The platform you gave us access to and the candidate summary you provided were always on point and accurate. 

You made us feel you were part of the team.

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