ELMWOOD PARK, NJ. — Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods, a Vestar Capital Partners portfolio company, has named Steve Polonowski chief customer officer.

Mr. Polonowski will help develop consumer partnerships for Dr. Praeger’s and aid the convenient frozen food maker’s efforts to accelerate the growth of its vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and kosher offerings.

“Steve brings an impressive track record of building health-oriented brands through strategic customer partnerships and building strong teams,” said Andy Reichgut, chief executive officer of Dr. Praeger’s. “His diverse experience with better-for-you brands in different categories, customers and channels will be a huge asset for the team at Dr. Praeger’s.”

In addition to his most recent role as president and chief commercial officer for BetterBrand, Mr. Polonowski has many years of experience in leadership positions, including chief sales officer at Simple Mills, vice president of sales for Glanbia Performance Nutrition’s Amazing Grass business and senior director of sales and marketing for PepsiCo, Inc.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in business administration from Michigan State University.

The hiring marks Dr. Praeger’s second major addition to the executive team in the latter half of 2022, with Mr. Reichgut taking over as CEO in July.