ORLANDO, Fla., (September 28, 2016) -- Eager to accelerate sales of nutritious Thrive Ice Cream in the health care market that includes acute care hospitals, long-term care, rehabilitation facilities and cancer centers, as well as in collegiate and professional sports nutrition programs, Thrive Frozen Nutrition has named Alan R. Gessel president of its healthcare division.
With more than 20 years of experience in the food and nutrition industry, Gessel has a proven record of accelerating company growth and improving the customer/patient experience. He has held senior executive positions with industry leaders such as Aramark, Sodexo, AVI Foodsystems, and Target. Most recently, Gessel served as Sodexo’s national vice president of Sales for North America Seniors.
Commenting on the appointment, Thrive CEO Bob Wengert said 2016 has been a pivotal year, with growing numbers of healthcare providers across the country serving Thrive Ice Cream as a meal replacement, supplement, or snack to patients and residents. “Our sales are definitely growing. We are confident that Alan’s leadership will help us achieve even more rapid adoption of our products. His experience in the food service industry, especially in hospital and senior markets, will be extremely beneficial.”
As president of Thrive’s healthcare division, Gessel will lead and direct marketing, strategic sales, product development, communications, and client relations. Compared to other nutritional products on the market, he believes Thrive Ice Cream’s nutritional content and superior taste better address the healthcare industry’s pain points: the need for higher levels of patient compliance and improved nutrition intake associated with medically driven dietary requirements.
“Improving nutrition intake and driving better patient outcomes is a constant battle in health care, particularly among the pediatric and senior populations,” Gessel said. “Healthcare institutions are recognizing that Thrive Ice Cream is a powerful tool in their dietary arsenal as it delivers a broad spectrum of nutrition and is a refreshing alternative to other products typically employed. Most people enjoy ice cream so compliance is a non-issue.”
Added Gessel, “While Thrive Ice Cream is appropriate for the general public, patient and resident populations, it’s particularly effective for nutrition challenges associated with cancer, diabetes, dementia, dysphagia, and digestive disorders like gluten intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome and infections like C. diff. to name a few.”
Gessel is a graduate of Morehead State University and has completed numerous executive, strategic and international leadership development programs. He is past member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
About Thrive Ice Cream
Thrive Ice Cream was founded in 2011 with the vision of transforming the way people enjoy ice cream. Today, nutrition-packed Thrive Ice Cream is disrupting the premium ice cream and functional food categories in retail, health care, and collegiate and professional sports by delivering complete nutrition in a delicious and popular format. Thrive Ice Cream includes 24 vitamins and minerals, high in protein and natural soluble fiber, four strains of live and active probiotic cultures including Ganeden BC-30® shown to aid in digestive and immune health, and all natural ingredients. Thrive uses all natural dairy, flavor and color ingredients and is Real Dairy® certified. It is appropriate for health conscious adults, kosher and gluten-free diets, and is appropriate for many medical conditions requiring a special diet. Thrive Ice Cream’s no sugar added flavors are suitable for those with diabetes. Learn more at www.ThriveIceCream.com.
