KALAMAZOO, MICH. — National Flavors Co. has hired Brian Briggs as its new chief executive officer. Mr. Briggs will succeed Dan Hinkle, who will join the board of directors.

Mr. Briggs brings more than 25 years of experience to the flavor producing company, most recently as president of TIC Gums, Inc., a 110-year old specialty ingredients company.

Mr. Briggs received a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics from Cornell University, and has completed executive programs through Harvard, Stanford, and the Wharton School of Business.

“I’m honored to join the talented National Flavors team, and I look forward to working with them to implement strategies which will leverage the strong foundation that has been built,” Mr. Briggs said. “We will continue to be focused on providing solutions and a customer experience which allows our partners to achieve their growth expectations.”

Established in 1941, National Flavors (NF) is a producer of flavors for use in beverages, frozen desserts, baked foods, confections and processed fruits. The hiring of Mr. Briggs occurs in tandem with an investment in NF by the Riverside Co., a global private equity firm.

Riverside announced its investment in National Flavors in mid-March.

“We look forward to adding NF to Riverside’s family of successful investments in the flavor and specialty ingredients space such as: Parker Products, E&A Scheer and MEC3 along with strong consumer brands including Tate’s Bake Shop,” said Alan Peyrat, a partner at Riverside.