10 Things You Didn’t Know About Keurig Dr. Pepper CEO Bob Gamgort
At the beginning of 2018, coffee manufacturer Keurig Green Mountain announced its merger with the Dr. Pepper Snapple byGroup. Robert “Bob” Gamgort has served as Chief Executive Officer of Keurig Green Mountain since 2016 and had a lot to do with the merging of beverage companies. As of the merger, Gamgort was immediately appointed as CEO, President and Executive Board Director of the newly formed company, Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP). Bob Gamgort has led a successful career managing several leading companies, particularly food and beverage industries in executive positions. Gamgort serves on several boards and as a trustee for several foundations. He is sure to lead a successful transition in this new endeavor. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Robert J. Gamgort.
1. CEO Keurig Dr. Pepper
Bob Gamgort became CEO and President of Keurig Green Mountain in July of 2018. Because of his three-decade success as an executive in the food industry, Gamgort was the perfect person to lead Keurig into a great future. Gamgort has helped guide several companies grow with marketing and mergers. He is truly one of the best leaders in the food industry. It was a difficult decision for Gamgort to leave his executive position at Pinnacle Foods, but he knew he could help advance Keurig Green Mountain which was already a leader in the beverage industry. Gamgort quickly set out to advance the merger between Keurig Green Mountain and Dr. Pepper Snapple. The merger took less than two years to come about. Merging Keuring Green Mountain with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is one of the biggest achievements in the beverage industry. The deal was backed by private investing group JAB Holding. JAB Holding Company has helped companies including Krispy Kreme and Panera Bread prosper. The combination of a hot beverage industry (Keurig Green Mountain’s coffee) with a cold beverage industry (Dr. Pepper Snapple Group) was bound to be a success, Bob Gamgort was the man to lead it.
2. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
Keurig was founded in 1992 by two friends who met in college in the 1970’s, John Sylvan and Peter Dragone. Sylvan and Dragone had a vision to help college students all over the world: a one cup coffee brewer for their dorm rooms. The created the Keurig brewing system that brewed great one cup coffees using a “K-cup”. The company was merged with Green Mountain in 2014 and became one of the top-selling companies in the coffee and other hot and cold beverage industries.
3. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group
One of America’s favorite and original soft drinks, Dr. Pepper, was introduced by Charles Alberton in Waco, Texas in the 1880’s. The brand has enjoyed a prolific presence in the soft drink market throughout the world. Snapple was one of the original tea and juice bottled drinks which became a company in 1972. In 1998 Dr. Pepper and Snapple united to become one of the world’s leading cold beverage companies.
4. Education
Robert J. Gamgort was born on August 15, 1962 in New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania’s Bucknell University and studied at the London School of Economics. Gamgort went on to earn his Masters of Business Science from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Bob has lived in Mendham, New Jersey since 1998 with his wife, whom he met in undergraduate school, and their two sons.
5. Kraft Foods
Bob Gamgort began his executive career in the food industry with Kraft Foods. He led the company in marketing, sales and corporate strategy during the 1990’s. Gamgort’s drive led him to help Kraft Foods become one of the major brands of the food industry. Gamgort became a General Manager of Marketing at Kraft Foods before being picked up by Major League Baseball Properties.
6. Major League Baseball Properties
After leaving Kraft Foods, Bob Gamgort followed a dream. He worked for Major League Baseball Properties. The Company assists with owner, franchising and merchandising or Major League Baseball Properties. This job was more of a hobby than a job for Gamgort as he was involved with his favorite Chicago Baseball team.
7. Mars, Inc.
Bob Gamgort was hired as Vice President of Marketing at Mars, Inc. in 1998. His diligent and successful work with the company led him to become General Manager of the company’s chocolate unit and later North American President of the companies managed the confectionary, main meal, pet food and business divisions through his tenure. When Gamgort left Mars, Inc. in 2009 to become CEO of Pinnacle Foods, Inc., it was speculated within the company that Gamgort and Mars, Inc.’s President, Paul Michaels, wanted the company to go in different directions.
8. Pinnacle Foods, Inc.
In his seven years as CEO of Pinnacle Food, Inc. Bob Gamgort helped the company grow and also helped market the company into a new era. Bob Gamgort saw the need to market Pinnacle Foods, Inc. with more healthy food options. Today, most people are more interested in finding healthy food options at the grocery store than anything else. Pinnacle Foods, Inc. includes many popular brands that are changing with the times including Duncan Hines, Wishbone, Bird’s Eye, Mrs. Pauls, Van de Kamps, and brands that deliver gluten-free options including Smart Balance and Glutino (pinnaclefoods.com).
9. Other Boards
In addition to his Executive Board position with Green Mountain Dr. Pepper, Bob Gamgort serves on other company boards. He serves on the Board of Directors of Gluten-Free food manufacturer, Boulder Brands, Inc. Gamgort has served on the Board of Directors for retail distributor Wayfair Inc. since 2016. Prior to that, he served on the Board for Pinnacle Foods from 2006 through 2009. Bob Gamgort also serves as a trustee for several organizations. These include Shiff-National Lands Trust, the New Jersey State Employment Training Commission, Bucknell University, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Morristown Memorial Hospital.
10. Salary
Bob Gamgort currently has a net worth of nearly $5.13 million. The majority of his worth is through his salary with Keurig Dr. Pepper. Serving as the Executive of the Board, President and CEO of the company since 2016 has earned him $4,247.430. In addition, Gamgort owns 2,850 shares of stock in the company. This is valued at $880,545.
