Top sales executive at Flowers’ Foods is retiring.
GA — Thomasville Flowers Foods, Inc. said on August 10 that its chief sales officer, D. Keith Wheeler, will retire at the end of 2023. After 35 years at Flowers, Mr. Wheeler will leave his position at the end of August to become a senior consultant to A. Ryals McMullian, chairman, president, and chief executive officer, until December 31.
“I want to thank Keith from the bottom of my heart for his years of excellent service to our company,” Mr. McMullian stated. His special blend of teamwork, leadership, and communication, together with his thorough knowledge of our industry, have greatly contributed to the success of our organization. Keith has led teams at Flowers Foods and in other industries, and his wealth of experience, industry expertise, and friendship have all been very beneficial to the company. We hope he has the best retirement possible.
Mr. Wheeler was appointed to his current role in May 2017 and has been employed for Flowers since 1988. Mr. Wheeler served as president of Flowers Bakeries from 2014 to 2017, during which time the company’s direct-store delivery division accounted for 83% of total revenues. He served as Flowers’ West Coast region’s senior vice president prior to that. Prior to this, Mr. Wheeler worked as a regional controller, vice president of operations, director of strategic planning, and president of a bakery, gaining experience in operations, accounting, and sales.
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According to Flowers, Mr. Wheeler “led numerous large-scale projects important to the company’s growth,” including extending distribution networks in major areas and integrating several brand acquisitions and bakeries.
Mr. Wheeler attended the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and graduated in 1986. His accounting bachelor’s degree in business administration is in hand.