Ken Meyer

Ken Meyer is a veteran retail executive, mission-driven entrepreneur, and conscious leader with 30+ years of experience in the natural foods industry.

His remarkable journey commenced with Fresh Fields, where he initially specialized in labor scheduling and logistical planning—an experience that supported the company merger with Whole Foods Market in 1996. Over the next 24 years, Meyer ascended to various senior leadership roles, ultimately serving as the Executive Vice President of Operations, North America, and the United Kingdom for Whole Foods Market. Meyer served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, reporting to John Mackey Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market.

 

In his role as EVP of Ops, Ken held a pivotal position overseeing the day-to-day operations, development, design, and innovation of both existing and new stores and acquiring numerous manufacturing and retail food companies. Under his leadership were six Presidents of Regions, Global Retail Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics and Global Culinary and Hospitality.

 

Meyer’s creative vision and ability to identify emerging industry trends and promising brands helped shape the grocer’s best practices, including innovative product development, store design, and launching new business ventures and strategic partnerships supporting the world class store experience and culinary programs at Whole Foods Market.

 

Meyer was first to initiate and played an integral role in Whole Foods Market’s merger team when it was acquired by Amazon in 2017. He left Whole Foods Market in 2019 to pursue his entrepreneurial interests, launching two companies as the founding Managing Director and CEO of “Connectivity” and “Spring Foods” focused on the transformation of commodity ingredients through sustainable growing and sourcing practices, creative supply chain solutions, and modern mission-based consumer brands. In 2020 Meyer was inducted into the Whole Foods Market Hall of Fame.

 

Meyer’s reach extended further with the launch of “One Handshake Partners,” a holding company and advisory platform aimed at discovering, nurturing, developing, and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs and emerging brands. His wealth of experience and extensive network are assets that can benefit organizations of all sizes, along with his passionate commitment to transformative products that make a sustainable impact while nourishing the world, and his distinctive approach to leadership and purpose-driven business.

 

He is a Founding Partner and Investment Committee Member of Midnight Ventures Partners, a purpose-built investment fund to invest and scale emerging consumer brands and food companies.

 

Ken is currently an Operating Partner for STORY3 Capital a leading alternative investment manager that employs a flexible investment strategy focused on investing in the consumer value chain. Ken is active Board Member for Daylesford Organic, the world-renowned leading UK organic farm and retailer. He also serves as a strategic advisor and coach to multiple companies in natural foods, health, and wellness. Ken was a Founding member of the Whole Kids Foundation Board and continues to serve as an external member of the foundations.

 

Beyond his professional endeavors, Ken is a devoted father to three remarkable children—Hannah, Jon, and Laney—all currently pursuing their education at university. He also leads an active lifestyle as an avid triathlete, experienced alpine and expedition mountaineer, and passionate cook who explores the world through its diverse cuisines and savoring every meal.

 

Ken Meyer’s Areas of Expertise:

· Building and leading high-performance, collaborative teams in multi-unit retailing and a diverse range of CPG and ingredient sourcing and product manufacturing companies.

· Developing and executing business and transaction strategies that maximize and balance stakeholder value.

· Creating business development strategies and negotiating strategic joint ventures.

· Customer-Centric Value Creation, Brand Identity, Optimization of Financial Performance, and Transformative Capitalization.

· Growth through M&A, Conscious Integrations, Sustainable Scaling, and Turnarounds.

· Leadership Team Building, Vision and Culture, Strategy Development and Execution.