Papa Murphy’s Holdings, Inc. has named Laura Szeliga its chief marketing officer, effective immediately, the Vancouver, Wash.-based take-and-bake pizza chain said Thursday.
Most recently she was senior vice president and general manager of ProFlowers, a subsidiary of Provide Commerce that sells flowers via e-commerce. Previously she worked with Provide’s Shari’s Berries brand.
In her new job, she will be responsible for developing and implementing “breakthrough, insight-based brand strategies and marketing plans designed to drive profitable sales,” Papa Murphy’s said in a release announcing her appointment.
“Laura’s extensive experience in spearheading proven marketing strategies for food and retail industry front-runners demonstrates she is the right candidate to lead Papa Murphy’s marketing strategy into the future,” Papa Murphy’s CEO Weldon Spangler said in the release.
“I look forward to working with the Papa Murphy’s team,” Szeliga said. “Papa Murphy’s is a company that offers a unique, quality and one-of-a-kind product to its customers, and I am excited to help introduce the brand and all it stands for to even more consumers.”
Papa Murphy's most recent CMO, Brendan Solano, left the company last February.
The 1,500-unit chain has been struggling, with same-store sales declining for the past two years, including a 4.1 percent decline in the quarter ended Oct. 2.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary