Background

Melissa (Missy) Hunter brings more than 16 years’ Brand Marketing, Communications and Advertising experience, and a wide range of exciting skills to Umoja as Chief Marketing Officer. Missy is passionate about using the power of marketing to make a positive impact, inform, create joy and help others. 

With a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Baylor University, Missy comes to the Umoja team from McLane Global. As Vice President of Marketing with McLane, Missy crafted the branding, messaging, strategy and design for McLane Global, all divisions, and own brands. Her passion, knowledge and expertise were instrumental in brand design and development, innovation of new products, helping crafting sales opportunities, building and developing the marketing team, and elevating McLane Global, its divisions and brands. As company spokesperson, Missy successfully delivered a targeted, multi-market communications strategy to bring awareness to and drive enrollment in the Emergency Meals-To-You program, an initiative that delivered more than 30 million meals to students across the country in response to COVID-19 school closures. 

Prior to McLane, Missy was with Simply 7 Snacks and Dishaka Manufacturing, where she served as Brand Marketing Manager, developing the Simply7 brand throughout the US and across more than 30 countries. Through her extensive knowledge of the CPG industry, manufacturing, brand development and marketing strategy, retail strategy, communications, design and analytics, Missy introduces effective tools to drive success and growth for Umoja, our divisions, brands and partners. Her reputation for excellence, problem solving, creativity, teamwork and leadership is recognized by all who have worked with her. Missy’s role is marketing strategy, leadership, communications, innovation, brand and product development for Umoja, our divisions, and our Karibu and Karibu Crew brands.