Our CEO, Kevin Ponticelli, brings more than 30 years of terrific experience from senior leadership positions in food and beverage, working across sales, marketing, and general management, and we’re thankful we have such a proficient leader on-board! His roles have included: COO and President of Mizkan American Inc., CEO for Discovery Foods, President of both Kraft’s North American Cheese business and Kraft’s Pizza Division, and Senior Executive VP for Dairy Management Inc . In fact while at Kraft, Kevin led development, test marketing and expansion of DiGiorno rising crust pizza, and helped to create the ‘It’s Not Delivery, It’s DiGiorno’ ad campaign that launched the business nationally. He’s also a member of the Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and enjoys all sports. His favorite food is a big, delicious cheeseburger. Which means our ground beef is his go-to for hand pressed patties grilled medium rare over a charcoal fire, with a melted slice of American cheese on a toasted bun (with all the fixings)….accompanied by an ice cold beer. It’s his perfect, nostalgic meal that brings back great memories of hot summer cookouts and family picnics.

Nicole is our savvy and tenacious CMO. She is not just at Pre for the chuck roast (which she uses in a killer French onion soup), she’s here because she is passionate about the importance of real food and Pre’s mission to deliver real, grass fed and finished beef to carnivores all over the country. She knows how to get things done, create great experiences (even on a short deadline), plan, strategize, and rock & roll. You will probably never see Nicole at her desk for more than an hour, because she is always in motion, working with our partners, team members, and customers. She comes to Pre with 20 years of experience in start-up businesses like Boca, Forkless Gourmet, and Natural Fitness from ground zero. So it’s not her first rodeo when it comes to start-ups and small businesses. In her off-time from being our fierce boss lady you can find her spending time with her family and probably enjoying some Swedish fish too.

Andrew Ruttgers is our CFO who has a wealth of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. He has played a vital role in supporting brand building activities as a senior finance leader throughout his career.

With significant experience in the industry, Andrew began his career in Chicago with JP Morgan Chase. He then embarked on an exciting journey with Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, and Storck USA where he held leadership roles in Corporate Strategy/New Ventures, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Supply Chain. During his time at PepsiCo and Storck, he contributed to the growth and profitability of well-known brands such as Gatorade, Frito Lay, Tropicana and Werther’s Original Caramels.

Andrew is a food lover, which is why we (really) like him. He particularly loves the Pre ribeye steak seasoned with just a touch of salt and pepper (a true minimalist). When Andrew isn’t helping us make Pre even better, he can be found enjoying zen time planning his next wood working project, spending quality time with his wife and dog along the lakefront and enjoying dinner with friends.

Bob is our essential and incredible CSO who is passionate about creating and promoting more sustainable animal protein products! He helps us get the word out about Pre by introducing our brand to partners so we can grow and support different regions. His commitment to quality and integrity are the kinds of things that really make us happy to have Bob on our team. He brings with him years of experience in meat and CPG brands! When Bob is not out working with new customers or taste-testing our New York Strip, you can probably find him spending time with his wife and 4 kids. All of his kids are very active in college so Bob has plenty of their activities to attend! He also loves traveling with his wife on exciting trips, and taking long walks with his two furry kids, Ellie and Polly.

Chantz is our Supply Chain Analyst, he makes sure we are operating smart and making good calls for production, logistics, and warehousing. He’s extremely helpful on our Operations team with loads of experience in logistics. His favorite Pre cut is the ribeye, reverse seared. He has a passion for eating and cooking food, as well as drinking craft beer. If you want to find Chantz on the weekend, check out some of the new restaurants around town —he’ll probably be at one of them, exploring every inch of Chicago for new and exciting dinner plans.

Paula is our bright and bold Senior Director of Business Development. She has a track record of...well, being the best… and we like that about her. We are happy she is here because she has loads of experience with different food brands, small to large, and she has helped each one grow strong and fast. When Paula is not at Pre, you can probably find her at the beach with friends and family. Paula is a great cook and loves making her families’ old Italian recipes—we love it when she does that too. But if you were to cook Paula a cut of Pre, she would request a filet mignon, black and blue, followed by a chocolate dessert, any form—any size, wrapped around any other sweets!

Jen is our Market Manager. Have you ever gone to pick up Pre at the grocery store and there is a woman straightening the shelves and conversing with the meat managers in Pre attire? That is probably Jen, making sure our stores are top notch for carnivore consumption. Jen is always working towards the future, whether that means introducing Pre to new retailers, figuring out ways to support our customers through store events, or watering our herb garden at the Pre office so her fellow employees can have fresh basil all year round—Jen is always someone you can count on. She believes in Pre and it shows through her positive attitude, enthusiastic energy and teamwork.

Jon is the Controller at Pre. He usually gets to the office first in the morning on his bicycle and can hold his own during our table tennis matches. He’s got a great plaid shirt for every camping trip and our chuck roast is his go-to, barbacoa-style specifically. Jon brings over 12 years of experience in finance to Pre and is a passionate foodie (so we always make sure he is available during our recipe testing). In his spare time, Jon prefers to be outdoors. We are pretty sure if we had a rooftop Jon might up be there all day.

David is the Operations Manager at Pre. When it comes to making sure things move smoothly at our plant and our product arrives safely within the right time frame for “wow, that’s tender,” David has the schedule memorized and is monitoring it to the minute and temperature (and he is probably 2 months ahead of you on it too). We’re so happy to have David on-board, he is a food science professional and has years of experience in food, new product development, quality control and food safety, with hands on experience in new product creation, testing, production methodology and OSHA, USDA & GMP regulations! Pre fuels his desire to learn, develop and grow within the food industry. When David is not solving problems at Pre or finding them before they need to be solved, he is most likely found participating in a BBQ competition (no Michelin stars, but he has won quite a few awards in rib categories). He says there is nothing better than seeing a person’s reaction to eating something he has spent hours making. Bringing the family together for a smoked beef brisket with all the fixin’s makes him the happiest…that… and a cold beer + a Pre® Filet Mignon w/parmesan crust and a twice baked potato. When he isn’t barbecuing, he loves to play golf, hockey, and guitar.

Daniel is our Quality Manager. That means he’s really into good food, and we appreciate that. Daniel is a food science perfectionist, he is constantly conducting food quality experiments, testing new products (and we don’t mean JUST taste testing), & overseeing and improving our production process. His goal is to deliver a high quality product with even higher quality taste. He is committed to improving his approach to food safety and quality and continues to learn even more about the food industry every single day. He has loads of experience in Quality at places like The Spice House and Legendary Baking. On any given weekend you might find him kayaking, hiking, playing volleyball, taking in a new restaurant or just eating in bed (hey, we all do it). His favorite Pre cut is the ‘bold and brave’ ribeye—he likes to sous vide and then sear it for that perfect cook, every time.

Shaun is our Social Media Manager, he infuses his creativity into every project, and he's the expert behind our social media platforms, weaving captivating content strategies together with engaging videos.

He has 14 years of media and storytelling experience in conceiving, producing, and hosting various media forms, he has carved a niche for himself as a dynamic and forward-thinking Media Producer. His expertise extends from podcasts to videos and animations. He has played a pivotal role in building brand awareness for renowned podcasts like The Distance and Re-Work at 37-Signals.

But beyond the professional realm, Shaun's heart lies in the delightful simplicity of a McDonald's Big Mac, a guilty pleasure he unabashedly adores. To him, it's not just a sandwich; it's a masterpiece of flavors and a testament to culinary ingenuity. Besides his love for the Big Mac, Shaun enjoys the art of smoking meats and grilling (especially at BBQ competitions), and his favorite Pre product is the Chuck Roast.

Outside of making great content at Pre, you'll find Shaun immersed in Dungeons & Dragons, cooking new recipes, and orchestrating epic backyard barbecues.