Wild Oats Marketing Chairman and CEO, 2011 / Fresh & Easy, CEO 2013 – 2015
Wild Oats Marketing: Strategic Collaboration with Walmart
Keyes became Chairman and CEO of Wild Oats Marketing, LLC in 2011 following the sale of Wild Oats to Whole Foods. He developed a line of consumer products in a strategic collaboration with Walmart, creating more than 250 items offered at more than 3,000 Walmart stores. The company then acquired 180 Fresh & Easy stores (YFE, LLC) from Tesco in 2013. Wild Oats retained assets including cash, investments, and intellectual property, including product formulations for over 10,000 natural/organic products. He is currently exploring alternative platforms for deployment of the Wild Oats brand.
Innovation: Developed a line of 250 consumer products in a strategic collaboration with Walmart, offered at more than 3,000 Walmart stores.
Expansion: Acquired 180 Fresh & Easy stores (YFE, LLC) from Tesco in 2013.
Financial: Retained assets for over 10,000 natural/organic products ready for new, alternative deployment.
Leveraged emerging technology, logistics, and scale to better meet the increasing consumer demand for higher-quality fresh foods at affordable prices.
Transformed Fresh & Easy’s business and disposition of assets.
Retained assets including cash, investments, and intellectual property, including product formulations for over 10,000 natural/organic products.