Management Team

Maria Stipp brings a unique combination of strategic vision, operational excellence, and brand leadership to her role as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Suja Life, a position she has held since February 2024. Under her leadership, Suja Life has undergone transformational growth while strengthening both top- and bottom-line performance. Known for her ability to scale businesses and unlock long-term value, Maria has consistently delivered measurable results across brand building, innovation, and execution. Prior to joining Suja Life, Maria served as Chief Executive Officer of Sapporo Stone Brewing from September 2020 to January 2024, where she also served on the board of directors from January 2023 to January 2024. Before that, she was Chief Executive Officer of Lagunitas Brewing Company from May 2015 to March 2020 and served on its board of directors from October 2015 to March 2020. In both CEO roles, Maria successfully navigated complex integrations and acquisition strategies while positioning the brands for sustained growth in highly competitive craft brewing markets. Earlier in her career, Maria spent over a decade in the software and gaming industry, including serving as Executive Vice President of Owned Properties at Activision. There, she oversaw some of the company's most iconic franchises, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Guitar Hero, demonstrating her ability to drive success across diverse industries and business models. Maria holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Management from the University of Iowa.

Jeff Pedersen brings over two decades of finance leadership experience in the beverage and consumer goods industries to his role as Chief Financial Officer at Suja Life, a position he has held since July 2019. Under his financial stewardship, Suja has consistently delivered outsized topline growth while expanding to best-in-class Adjusted EBITDA margins. Known for his strategic approach to value creation and operational excellence, Jeff specializes in building financial strategies that are designed for long-term sustainability and deeply integrated with business objectives. His work focuses on driving financial growth, innovation, and sustainable performance, leveraging his extensive experience with some of the world's most recognized beverage brands. Prior to joining Suja Life, Jeff served as Vice President of Operations Finance at Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), a Fortune 500 producer of beer, wine, and spirits, from June 2016 to October 2018. Previously, he was Director of Finance, Financial Planning and Analysis at Exemplis Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of office seating products, from April 2012 to June 2016. Jeff also held several roles at PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), including Director of Finance, Food Service, from June 2010 to April 2012. Earlier in his career, Jeff held multiple positions at E. & J. Gallo Winery from August 2001 to June 2010, including Senior Finance Manager, Strategic Planning and Supply, where he developed deep expertise in beverage industry financial operations. Jeff holds an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management and a B.S. in Structural Engineering from the University of California San Diego.

Mike Box brings over 30 years of operational and manufacturing expertise to his role as Chief Operations Officer at Suja Life, where he has served since November 2016. With more than two decades specializing in the premium beverage space, Mike has a proven track record of driving growth and leading companies through periods of rapid expansion. His deep technical knowledge and operational acumen have been instrumental in orchestrating multiple factory capacity expansions and scaling manufacturing operations to support double-digit growth phases across major beverage businesses. Prior to joining Suja Life, Mike served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Bolthouse Farms from October 2002 to October 2016, where he oversaw beverage and consumer packaged goods operations for the vertically integrated farm company specializing in refrigerated beverages. Earlier in his career, Mike was Manager of Plant Operations and Engineering at Aurora Foods, Inc., a frozen food manufacturer, from March 1999 to September 2002. Mike began his career as a Nuclear Submarine Officer in the United States Navy from 1989 to 1994, where he developed the leadership foundation and technical discipline that would define his career in operations excellence. Mike holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Chico.

Nicole Portwood brings a proven track record of building, revitalizing, and scaling purpose-driven brands to her role as Chief Marketing Officer at Suja Life. At Suja Life, Nicole leads the company’s marketing efforts as it expands its portfolio beyond cold-pressed juices into a broader platform of better-for-you beverages. Under her leadership, Suja has reintroduced the iconic Slice soda brand and continues to innovate in functional wellness and lifestyle-driven products. Prior to joining Suja Life, Nicole served as Chief Marketing Officer and board member at Salad and Go from October 2023 to February 2025, where she helped drive national expansion and strengthen the brand’s mission of accessibility and wellness. Before that, she was the General Manager at House of Delola from June 2022 to September 2023, where she led the successful launch of Jennifer Lopez’s bottled cocktail line. Nicole’s career also includes senior leadership roles such as Chief Brand Officer at Live Nation Entertainment from 2021 to 2022 and Vice President of Marketing for PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew from 2018 to 2021, where her strategic vision drove five consecutive quarters of industry-leading growth. Earlier, as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Tito’s Handmade Vodka from 2010 to 2018, she guided the brand through a period of exponential growth and was recognized as AdAge’s Marketer of the Year (2017). A passionate advocate for purpose-driven marketing and values-led leadership, Nicole was recently named to Reuters’ 2024 Trailblazing Women list in recognition of her influence in reshaping the modern marketing landscape. Nicole lives in New York with her husband and two children in a home that values time together enjoying great music and food.

Gretchen Uschold brings over 32 years of expertise in scaling Organic and Natural CPG brands to her role as Chief Sales Officer at Suja Life, which she has held since July 2020. Previously, she served as EVP of Sales & Planning at Suja Life from January 2016 to July 2020. As a member of the executive leadership team for over a decade, Gretchen has been instrumental in driving disciplined growth for the company through strategic channel expansion, customer partnership development, and rigorous commercial execution. She leads retail sales strategy with a focus on optimized distribution, sustainable revenue growth, and building lasting customer relationships in an emerging and highly competitive market. Her leadership approach centers on building high-performing sales teams that translate consumer and category insights into compelling sales narratives while delivering swift, precise execution, innovation launches, and strategic business development initiatives. Prior to joining Suja Life, Gretchen spent 15 years at Stonyfield Farm, which was a Groupe Danone company, and five years at Seeds of Change, a division of Mars Inc. Earlier in her career, she began as a regional sales professional at a natural food broker before quickly advancing to Sales Manager, developing the foundational skills that would define her career in the Natural and Organic industry. Gretchen holds a B.A. in Secondary Education with a concentration in History and Political Science from Walsh University.

Saxon Seay has served as Chief Strategy Officer of Suja Life since May 2025. Previously, she served as Chief Marketing Officer of Suja Life from December 2022 to May 2025. Saxon brings more than 15 years of consumer marketing and brand-building experience across the better-for-you beverage and consumer goods sectors to Suja Life, where she leads the company’s strategic direction and growth initiatives. She plays a central role in positioning Suja Life’s portfolio for long-term value creation. Since joining Suja Life, Saxon has helped drive 19% topline growth, strengthening the company’s market position across its portfolio of better-for-you brands. Prior to joining Suja Life, Saxon spent nearly seven years at The Coca-Cola Company from June 2014 to December 2020 in consumer marketing roles of increasing responsibility on the core Coca-Cola trademark. There, she was part of the leadership team that orchestrated one of the brand’s most significant commercial turnarounds, taking the trademark from the number-one dollar volume loser in the total beverage category to its number-one gainer. She spearheaded multi-million dollar product launches across channels, led global advertising campaigns that contributed to $1.4 billion in brand growth, and championed the Masterbrand campaign strategy that unified and elevated the portfolio. She also drove transaction package initiatives that meaningfully improved mix, and helped establish Coke Zero Sugar as the number-one share gainer of the decade. Earlier in her career, Saxon served in marketing and external affairs roles at Points of Light, where she managed cause-marketing partnerships with organizations including Scholastic, L’Oréal Paris, and Starbucks. Saxon holds a Bachelor of Arts from Berry College and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, with concentrations in Marketing and Strategy.

Heather Thomaselli-Baker brings a strong background in business operations, organizational leadership, and legal training to her role as Chief Administrative Officer at Suja Life, where she has been a member of the executive leadership team since 2016. In this role, she oversees key administrative and operational functions and serves as a strategic business partner across the organization. Her work focuses on building scalable people-first systems, ensuring legal compliance, and supporting long-term operational excellence. Known for her practical leadership style, Heather has a proven ability to align people, process, and strategy in support of the business and team member experience. Prior to becoming CAO, Heather served as Vice President of Business Operations at Suja Juice from June 2013 to January 2016. Before joining Suja, she founded H. Thomaselli Consulting from April 2012 to June 2013, where she leveraged extensive operational and business strategy expertise in the hospitality industry. Earlier in her career, Heather held leadership roles including Vice President of Operations at Flank Marketing from 2009 to 2012, where she led operations for an internet marketing agency providing integrated online marketing solutions. She also served as General Manager of Venue Development at EnDev/Enlightened Hospitality Group from 2006 to 2011, focused on the development, pre-opening management, and launch of award-winning brands in the San Diego market. Heather began her career as Project Manager for Residential & Commercial Real Estate Development at The Halcyon Companies from 2003 to 2005. Heather holds a Juris Doctor in Business Transactions from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.