Executive Leadership Team | Leaders

Sun Products Executive Leadership Team

Jeffrey P. Ansell – Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer brings to Sun Products 30 years of consumer products experience, including 25 years with Procter & Gamble and three years as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors at Pinnacle Foods, a $2 billion company of iconic food brands. At P&G Jeff was a corporate officer of the company, where his most recent responsibility was President of the Iams Pet Care subsidiary; prior to this he led Pampers Baby Care in North America and Europe. Jeff began his career in P&G Food & Beverage Brand Management, and led businesses including Folgers, Pringles and Sunny Delight.

Jeff is a graduate of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and currently serves on the Dean's Council Board of Advisors.

Scott Almquist – Chief Customer Officer is responsible for customer development for both national and retailer branded products in the U.S. He joined Sun Products from The Zeno Corporation, where he served as President and CEO. Prior to that, served as VP and General Manager at the Evenflo Company where he had responsibility for sales, marketing, and product development, and later went on to serve as President of Evenflo’s North American business. Scott began his career in customer business development at Procter & Gamble where he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility over a successful 20-year career, ultimately leading P&G’s Millstone Coffee Company business as President/General Manager.

Scott received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Gretchen Crist – Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for all functions within Human Resources and Corporate Communication. Gretchen came to Sun Products with significant Human Resources experience. In her most recent role as Vice President of Human Resources and member of the Executive Committee at Playtex Products Inc., Gretchen was responsible for all HR functions and strategy for the company. Prior to Playtex, Gretchen held various roles within HR of increasing responsibility with Altria and Nestle Waters.

Gretchen earned her bachelor's degree in Business from Mercy College, and an MBA in Human Resources Management from Long Island University.

Brian J. Del Buono – Chief Legal Officer is responsible for all legal affairs worldwide. He has experience building and leading legal teams both in private practice and in corporate legal departments. Prior to assuming his current role, Brian served as Sun Products’ Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Chief IP Counsel. Before joining Sun Products, Brian was a partner at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox in Washington, DC, where he represented a diverse group of clients (including Sun Products) in intellectual property strategy and procurement, licensing and technology acquisition.

Brian holds a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry from Juniata College, M.S. and Ph.D. in Microbiology/Biochemistry from The Pennsylvania State University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University.

Al Drewes – Executive Vice President, CFO & Supply Chain is responsible for all aspects of financial planning and accounting, tax, audit, treasury as well as IT, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and procurement for the Company. He is also responsible for Sun Products’ Supply Chain functions. Prior to joining Sun Products, Al spent 28 years in roles of increasing leadership responsibility within various divisions of Pepsi-Cola, most recently serving as Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. Over the course of his career, Al has built a diverse record of accomplishments in senior financial and business strategy, manufacturing, and general management roles. He has led large organizations both domestically and internationally, driving change and delivering results across functional areas and global markets. Other roles he has held include VP & CFO, Pepsi Cola Europe and Africa; GM, Africa Market Unit; and VP, Planning and New Business Development with Pepsi-Cola International.

Al received his Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering at University of Massachusetts, and his MBA in Finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

Blair Hawley – Chief Supply Chain Officer oversees the Manufacturing, Distribution, Transportation, Customer Service and Supply Chain Planning functions for the Company. Blair has held a number of Senior Supply Chain positions with several consumer products and industrial companies such as Energizer Personal Care, New World Pasta, Remington Products, Kaman Industrial Technologies and Timex Corporation. Blair's career has covered the full spectrum of Supply Chain responsibilities with corporate leadership positions in Customer and Consumer Services, Distribution, Transportation, Operations, Program Management, Purchasing and Demand/Supply Planning across global locations.

Blair earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Carlos Linares – Chief Technology Officer is responsible for leading the Research and Development organization including product and packaging innovation and development, process engineering, quality assurance and regulatory compliance. He joined Sun Products from Johnson & Johnson where he served as Vice President, R&D Strategy and Open Innovation, developing strategy, driving innovation and building new capabilities for the Global R&D organization. In 2005, Mr. Linares joined the Alberto Culver Company, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President, R&D, Quality and Regulatory. He began his career in R&D with Procter & Gamble, where his groundbreaking work in skincare science and consumer insights earned him an Organizational Effectiveness Competitive Advantage Award.

Carlos received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.

Jeffery Strong – Executive Vice President, Retailer Brands and Canada is responsible for the development of Sun Products' North American Retail Brands business and all of Sun Products' business in Canada (National and Retailer Brands). Jeff joined Sun Products from Johnson & Johnson, where he served as Global President and Chief Customer Officer and led global customer development for the company's consumer business, which included iconic brands like Tylenol, Neutrogena, Listerine, and Johnson's Baby Products brands in over 80 countries around the world. Prior to his role at J&J, Jeff had a successful 21-year career at Procter & Gamble, where he held positions including Director and Team Leader for $5 billion in business at Walmart, Customer Development Business Director for Australia/New Zealand, and Marketing Director for Global Baby Care.

Jeff has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Ed Vlacich – Executive Vice President, National Brands is responsible for building the Company’s national brands through effective marketing, innovation and strategic leadership. Ed joined Sun Products from Novartis where he spent over seven years in senior leadership roles, including serving as Global Chief Marketing Officer for CIBA Vision, a $2 billion contact lens and care business. Prior to that, he was General Manager of the Novartis Germany/Austria business unit based in Munich. Earlier in his career, Ed held various marketing and new business development roles at P&G and Johnson & Johnson. He began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he worked for 11 years.

Ed earned his MBA and his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University.