BOULDER, CO — Returning to the helm of a company can be unnerving, to say the least. A lot had changed for Boulder, CO-based Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery and for Jane Miller when she returned to the company as CEO, but they’d both grown in many ways. The market had completely evolved. Not only had there been a global pandemic and supply chain disruption, but the organic and gluten-free markets had taken a major shift into the mainstream that left Rudi’s feeling more like the underdog than the trailblazer it once was.
Miller had been on a journey of her own, riding a leadership learning curve that took her through two failed startups and one massive success, including the sale of Lily’s Sweets to The Hershey Co. She was a little older and much wiser … and ready to take on the challenge of bringing Rudi’s back into the fray, not only for its original, loyal customer base but also for the new organic and gluten-free demographic that wasn’t yet familiar with the brand.
“When I came back, the world had changed,” Miller said. “Rudi’s was still a relevant player, but the competitive environment had changed dramatically.”…