Vitamix President and CEO Is First Female Board Chair for Team NEO
Cleveland, Ohio – May 13, 2019 – The board of directors of Team Northeast Ohio (Team NEO) has appointed as chairwoman Dr. Jodi Berg, president and CEO of Vitamix. The organization also appointed Glenn Richardson, managing director, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Aviation, JobsOhio, to the board of directors. In their new roles, Berg and Richardson join regional business leaders dedicated to advancing Northeast Ohio’s economy.
“Through her work as a business leader and a scholar, Jodi has committed herself to helping individuals find their own unique purposes and rallying entire organizations around a greater purpose,” said Team NEO CEO Bill Koehler. “Jodi’s strong, purpose-driven leadership will play a critical role in advancing Team NEO’s strategic focus in the coming years.
“Team NEO will also benefit from Glenn’s operations and engineering experience, as well as his deep insights in advanced manufacturing,” Koehler continued. “Glenn’s input will be vital as we help Northeast Ohio companies leverage the future of tech, including the industrial internet of things (IIoT), to drive greater productivity and efficiency.”
Berg’s agenda as board chairwoman will support Team NEO’s five key strategies: strengthen our regional economic development network, advance the adoption of technology to support business growth, advocate for policies and practical solutions to address the talent supply/demand gap, grow a pipeline of competitive sites for relocation and expansion, and promote Northeast Ohio’s economic advantages and successes.
“I’m proud to support Northeast Ohio’s economic development efforts and represent business leaders from Team NEO’s 18-county region in this critically important role,” said Berg. “I look forward to working with our many partners in the region to accelerate business investments and job growth.”
Berg and Richardson were voted into their positions at the May 8 Team NEO board meeting.
About Dr. Jodi Berg
Dr. Jodi Berg is the fourth-generation president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Vitamix, a 98-year-young, family-owned manufacturer of high-performance blenders for the consumer and foodservice commercial markets.
After holding leadership positions in the hospitality industry, including the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, she originally joined Vitamix with the directive to lead the company’s overseas expansion. Under her leadership, Vitamix experienced several years of double-digit percentage growth, and its products now are found in approximately 130 countries around the world.
Dr. Berg also transformed the organizational structure of the company and its corporate vision, mission and culture. She expanded distribution and defined and elevated the status of the brand, and continues to provide oversight and strategic focus for the company’s future.
Dr. Berg is passionate about our community and region. She is the incoming Chairwoman of YPO Gold, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year national judge, and a member of the boards of directors of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Play House, and David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry.
Vitamix has earned a long list of awards under Dr. Berg, including being named Best in Class Overall beverage blender by Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine for nine consecutive years, twice receiving the Smart Business Smart Culture Award, and last year being singled out for the Best in Biz Gold-level Product of the Year Award for its innovative Ascent Series of blenders. Dr. Berg herself was recognized as a national EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ in 2014, as the winner of the Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award in 2016, as Owler’s Most Likeable CEO in Cleveland in 2017, and as a member of the Community Leader Magazine NEO Business Hall of Fame in 2017, among many other honors.
Dr. Berg’s research on purpose and employee engagement has been published, and it earned her a Ph.D. in management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
About Glenn Richardson
Glenn Richardson is managing director, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Aviation, JobsOhio. He works with advanced manufacturing and aerospace companies to help them grow in an Industry 4.0 world.
Richardson is experienced in operations and engineering, having worked in the aerospace, automotive and energy industries. Prior to JobsOhio, he worked for Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc. as the vice president of the packaging and driven equipment supply chain unit. Richardson has also held positions with Dana Corp. and at Honeywell, where he led the technical development of the fuel valves for the jet engine on the F-22 fighter.
Richardson earned an executive MBA and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
About Team NEO
Team NEO is an economic development organization focused on creating jobs for Northeast Ohio’s residents. In collaboration with our partners, we lead the region’s business attraction efforts, supports business retention and expansion work as Northeast Ohio’s JobsOhio affiliate, accelerates the impact of innovation in the region, and aligns strategies and resources within the economic development network to maximize its impact. In addition, Team NEO provides tools to assist employers in attracting talent to the region.
Team NEO is part of the robust Northeast Ohio Economic Development System, providing business decision-makers with access to customized solutions that mitigate risk, foster innovation and accelerate growth through a connected and collaborative ecosystem. For more information, visit clevelandplus.com.