John F. Ghingo is the president of Applegate, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand. He joined Applegate in April 2018 and is responsible for driving forward the company’s mission: Changing The Meat We Eat. Ghingo presides over a senior leadership team that touches all aspects of the Applegate business from raw supply to sales.
Prior to Applegate, Ghingo led the Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands for The Whitewave Company as president of plant-based food and beverages. While at WhiteWave, Ghingo was charged with developing and implementing a broader, innovative strategic growth plan for the highly competitive plant-based foods market.
Before WhiteWave, Ghingo spent 17 years at Mondelēz International (formerly Nabisco and Kraft), where he held numerous general management and marketing leadership positions across several categories, both in North America and globally. He managed the businesses for many of the leading brands in snacking and confections, including billion dollar brands Oreo, Cadbury and Trident as well as some of the highest growth brands in snacking like Belvita.
He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his MBA at New York University Stern School of Business. Ghingo is a member of the national board of directors for After-School All-Stars. He resides in Verona, New Jersey with his wife and four children. He enjoys being active and the outdoors, including fishing and skiing.