Blue Apron Names Charlean Gmunder COO

Meal-kit company Blue Apron Holdings said it has tapped veteran food industry executive Charlean Gmunder for the role of chief operating officer.

Charlean Gmunder

Gmunder, whose new role was effective Nov. 25, will oversee Blue Apron’s fulfillment; supply chain; food safety and quality assurance; and physical operations, including logistics, procurement and customer experience. Gmunder reports to President and CEO Linda Findley Kozlowski.

“Charlean’s background, experience and accomplishments represent an excellent complement to Blue Apron’s leadership and operations teams,” said Kozlowski. “Her experience in food system operations, coupled with her deep knowledge of new product development and expanding capacity, will be critical as we continue to execute on our growth strategies.”

Blue Apron previously did not have a COO. Gmunder joins as the New York-based direct-to-consumer brand attempts a business turnaround amid operating losses and higher demand from the pandemic that brought with it logistical and capacity issues. The company most recently said it would move to temporarily reopen a closed fulfillment center in Texas to better meet labor needs that came with the pandemic.

Gmunder most recently was VP of catering operations for United Airlines, where she was responsible for six company-owned direct food-related manufacturing sites and all third-party manufacturing worldwide. Her business unit was responsible for over $1 billion in annual revenue with 3,000 employees, including responsibility for product development, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, regulatory compliance and customer experience.

Prior to United Airlines, Gmunder held operations roles at Maple Leaf Foods, Chiquita Brands, Promotion in Motion, Premio Foods, National Starch Food Innovation and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. She held VP of manufacturing roles at both Maple Leaf and Chiquita, according to a LinkedIn profile.

“This is an exciting time for the company as it continues to focus on product innovation, improved marketing and operational efficiencies to leverage changes in consumer behaviors around eating more meals at home. I look forward to working closely with Linda and the rest of the Blue Apron team towards continued progress on the company’s growth strategy set forth last year,” said Gmunder.

Gmunder received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University in New Jersey.