CHICAGO — Arbor Investments, a private equity that focuses on acquiring food, beverage and pet food companies, announced the appointment of John Jordan to the new position of chief operating officer. In joining Arbor, Jordan is stepping down from his position as chief executive officer of Ornua Co-operative, one of the largest exporters of Irish dairy foods and ingredients.
Jordan has been with Ornua for 30 years, serving in a range of leadership roles to support the company’s success. During his five years as CEO at Ornua, he developed and executed a successful growth strategy for the company, restructured its business and processes, and completed the company’s largest acquisition to date, doubling its US Ingredients division. Prior to his role as CEO, Jordan served as CEO of the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia division, in which he supported long-term growth strategies and expanded Ornua’s regional and private label presence.
“As a former CEO, John knows what it takes to win,” said Carl Allegretti, president of Arbor. “At Arbor, we have our tested playbook and after 25 years our team keeps getting better at executing that playbook. Bringing on a talent as strong as John is proof of our commitment to the continuous improvement of our organization for the future.”
Jordan has extensive experience in various business areas in the food industry. Additionally, he has long-standing ties to Arbor. Jordan formerly served as CEO of DPI Specialty Foods, in which Arbor acquired a majority stake in 2015. Following this, Arbor appointed Jordan to DPI’s board. Arbor recently sold DPI to keHE Distributors in June 2023.
“We’ve known John for 10 years, we’ve seen him in action and we’ve seen him under pressure,” said Gregory Purcell, co-founder and chief executive officer of Arbor. “To add someone of John’s caliber to the team is a major coup. At Arbor, people make the difference and I’m confident John will be a tremendous asset — helping our operating partners and portfolio company CEOs execute our growth strategies and elevate day-to-day operations at our companies.”
Jordan’s appointment represents Arbor’s first chief operating officer. He will officially join Arbor on Dec. 1, 2023.
“I have always admired the Arbor team, their focus and commitment to transforming food businesses,” Jordan said. “As a DPI board member, I had a front-row seat to the Arbor playbook in action. I’m honored and delighted to have been entrusted by Greg and Arbor leadership to be part of the firm’s next phase of growth.”
Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.