ST. LOUIS, USA – Today, Panera announces the appointment of Marlene M. Gordon as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary effective May 2. With over 20 years of industry experience, Gordon joins Panera from Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary.
During her tenure at Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc., the global food company, Marlene was a member of the company’s Global Leadership Team, where she led legal, corporate communications and people strategies to best support the company’s short and long-term business objectives.
Gordon was also instrumental in the redesign and deployment of the company’s new vision, values, five-year strategic objectives, global operational priorities and go to market plan.
Gordon’s career spans multiple industries and includes high-level roles at Bacardi, Burger King Corporation, Republic Industries Inc. and Blockbuster Entertainment Group. She holds a B.A. in Economics with honors from the University of Chicago, a JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and is also a Harvard Business School Certified Organizational Leader.
“We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Marlene as she joins the executive team as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary for both Panera Brands and Panera Bread,” said Niren Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Panera Brands and Panera Bread.
“Having a leader of Marlene’s caliber on board will support us during this exciting time for our portfolio of brands and expand our bestin-class executive team.”
“I’m excited to join Panera Brands at a such a transformational time. There are countless opportunities where I can dive in and add value, between Panera’s growth strategy for its complementary and iconic brands, the company’s focus on innovation and its people-first culture,” Gordon said.
“I am thrilled to start working alongside Niren, the leadership team, and all of our associates in achieving the company’s business objectives and taking the company to the next level.”
Gordon’s hire is the latest addition to Panera’s leadership team, which has expanded to bring on industry veterans from world-class companies including Kraft, Yum! Brands, sweetgreen, Unilever, Pepsi, CVS, Accenture and Coca-Cola.
