The Elations product was originally developed and tested by Procter & Gamble (P&G). Some of the people responsible for its development started their own company and have licensed the technology from P&G to speed up getting the product national. Following a successful test market in Kentucky, the Company is now expanding and rolling Elations national.
Our Management Team
Raymond (Ray) R. Rudy
Chairman of the Board
Ray is an operating partner of J.W. Childs Associates, L.P., where he has been a partner since the firm’s founding in 1995. He has served as Chairman of several Childs-owned companies and is currently a Board Member at Pinnacle Foods. Ray has worked at Procter & Gamble, General Foods Corporation, Continental Grain Company, Arnold Foods Company and CPC International. Before joining J.W. Childs, he served as Deputy Chairman of Snapple® Beverage Corporation. Ray is also a Director at Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon. Ray holds a BS degree from UCLA and an MBA from Xavier University.
William (Billy) B. Cyr
President and CEO
Billy is the President/CEO of the Elations Company. Previously, he was Vice President and General Manager of North America Juice Products for Procter & Gamble. Billy began his career at P&G in Marketing/Brand Management in 1985 and held various positions at such brands as Folgers® coffee, Duncan Hines® on baking mixes, Crisco® oil, Crush® soft drinks, and Citrus Hill orange juice. In his spare time, Billy likes to run (he has been an avid runner for 30 years) and enjoys skiing. A native of eastern Pennsylvania, Billy is a graduate of Princeton University. He also serves on the Company’s Board of Directors.
John R. Crossetti
Senior Vice President of US Sales
John, the Senior Vice President of US Sales, brings 30 years of sales experience in the consumer package goods industry. John’s background includes sales management positions with such tier one companies as Mars/Masterfoods, Grand Metropolitan, Ocean Spray Cranberries and Pinnacle Foods. Previously, John spent 9 years as Senior Vice President Sales for Ocean Spray Cranberries, a growers cooperative, with responsibility for all US sales operations. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, golf, and salt water fishing. He is a native of northern West Virginia, and is a graduate of Marshall University.
Ellen Iobst
Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing & Technology
Ellen leads the Elations manufacturing operation. She previously spent 23 years with Procter & Gamble. Twenty of those years were spent in Manufacturing, where she held a number of management positions in both manufacturing and technical roles, including Plant Manager. During that time she worked in a wide range of technologies from disposable-diaper-making to coffee manufacturing and from papermaking to juice-concentrate-making and filling. Her last three years at P&G were spent in Supply Chain roles, including Sunny Delight North America and Global Pringles. Ellen is a native of eastern Pennsylvania and enjoys traveling and skiing with her family. She is a graduate of Lehigh University.
William (Bill) Schumacher
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Bill joined Elations in May 2006, bringing more than 20 years experience in the consumer products industry. Prior to Elations, Bill was Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Ubiquity Brands, a Chicago-based food manufacturing holding company with 800 employees and brands like Jays® and Krunchers® potato chips, Fiddle Faddle®, and Poppycock Snacks®. Previously, Bill was CFO of NutraSweet, and CFO/COO of Select Beverages, a Chicago-based carbonated soft drink bottler. Bill began his career with PepsiCo, Inc. Bill enjoys golf and basketball. He is a native of Michigan, and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
Daniel (Dan) Sileo
Vice President of Manufacturing
Dan, who became the Vice President of Manufacturing in January 2007, brings 14 years experience with Procter & Gamble with 12 of those years in juice manufacturing and the last 2.5 years as the South Brunswick, NJ Site Manager. Prior to joining the business world, he spent 6 years in active service in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer on cruisers and destroyers. Dan, who is a native of Connecticut, enjoys coin collecting and home renovations. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy.
Timothy (Tim) Voelkerding
Vice President and Treasurer
Tim has been with The Elations Company since its inception. Prior to joining Elations Tim was Assistant Corporate Controller at Cincinnati Bell, a publicly held Cincinnati-based telecommunications provider. Previously Tim was the Vice President, Finance/Controller for Armor Metal Group/Cincinnati Industrial Machinery, a division of Eagle-Picher Industries. Tim began his career at KPMG a global provider of assurance services. A native of Cincinnati, Tim enjoys golf, basketball and running. He is a graduate of Xavier University.
Greg Winholt
Vice President, Controller & Chief Information Officer
Greg is the Vice President, Controller & Chief Information Officer of The Elations Company. Prior to Elations Greg spent 25 years with Procter & Gamble in a variety of operations and corporate finance and accounting roles. Greg’s experience with Procter & Gamble, particularly financial leadership of Food & Beverage Product Supply, the global IT organization, and corporate governance fit well with his role at Elation. Greg is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, enjoys golf and music. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.
Athena Wong
Vice President of Human Resources
Athena leads the HR group at The Elations Company. Athena brings 18 years of experience with Procter & Gamble where she held management positions in manufacturing, technology, and logistics with the Folgers Coffee and Sunny Delight brands. Athena is a native Californian currently located in Anaheim, CA where she enjoys mountain biking and tennis year round. She is a graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Eddie Young
Vice President Sales Planning
Eddie, the Vice President of Sales Planning, brings 13 years of experience in the beverage industry. Most recently Eddie was with Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid Division providing sales planning leadership for brands such as Minute Maid® & Hi-C®. Prior to Minute Maid, Eddie held roles in sales management and operations with Nestlé Beverage Company. Eddie’s background has given him experience in multiple beverage categories to include chilled, frozen & shelf stable juices, coffee, tea and kid’s milk modifiers. Eddie is a native of Oklahoma and graduated from The University of Oklahoma.
Richard (Rick) Zimmerman
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Innovation
Rick, the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Innovation, previously was Global Marketing Director for Juice Products at Procter & Gamble. Rick began his P&G career in 1980 in Brand Management, and rose through a variety of assignments, both domestic and international, including Head & Shoulders® shampoo, Crush/Hires/SunDrop soft drinks, Fisher Nuts, Pringles snacks, Folgers coffee, Global Snacks & Beverages New Business Development, and Sunny Delight North America. At Elations, Rick oversees Marketing and Research & Development. A native of New York City, Rick enjoys skiing and sailing. He received his MBA in finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
