Shick Esteve, world leader in ingredient automation, announces the promotion of Blake Day to President, Jason Stricker to VP of Sales & Marketing and Jessica Nelsen to VP Human Resources of Shick Esteve North America, effective immediately.
Day joined Shick Esteve in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer in Kansas City. He was then promoted to Executive Vice President in 2018. “Since being promoted to Executive VP, Blake has been very effective in managing the day-to-day operations in Kansas City. His leadership has been key in advancing our strategic initiatives for increased efficiency and reduced cost. “It has truly been a pleasure to work with Blake as we continue to maximize the organization’s performance,” says Tim Cook, CEO of Shick Esteve and Vice President of Linxis Group.
Day brings varied financial and operational expertise to his new role. Prior to joining Shick Esteve, Day had related industry experience working as Chief Financial Officer of Marlen International and Vice President of Finance for Premium Standard Farms Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from William Jewell College. He will remain based at Shick Esteve in Kansas City, Missouri.
Stricker, a second-generation employee, has been in the field of ingredient automation for over 20 years, during this period he has developed a wealth of knowledge in the fields of ingredient automation and process solutions. For the last 13 years he has worked in Regional and Executive Account management for Shick Esteve. In the past 5 years he has served as the Director of Sales & Marketing and has overseen significant market growth for the company.
“Jason’s knowledge of our technical capabilities and his connection to our customers as been key to our success in recent years. This promotion recognizes his valuable contribution to the leadership of our organization,” says Tim Cook, CEO of Shick Esteve and Vice President of Linxis Group.
Stricker is an active member of the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) association where he holds a seat on the Baking Industry Forum (BIF). He graduated from Baker University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He will remain based at Shick Esteve in Kansas City, Missouri.
Nelsen, joined Shick Esteve in 2014 as Human Relations Manager. Prior to Shick Esteve she worked in the HR department at Burns and McDonnell for 6 years. Since coming to Shick Esteve, Jessica has been instrumental in building the culture, recruiting top talent, and improving the company benefit programs. She is responsible for all facets of human resources for Shick Esteve, including benefits administration, recruiting, employee relations, and training.
“When we hired Jessica our company culture immediately took a big leap forward. She has been key in recruiting talent and improving the benefits that we offer to our teammates. Jessica has also been an instrumental contributor to the development of our corporate strategy,” says Tim Cook, CEO of Shick Esteve and Vice President of Linxis Group.
Nelsen has a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources and an MBA from the University of Nebraska. She’s a member of HRCI and ABA HR and Safety Professionals Group Associations.
The Shick Esteve business model focuses on creating solutions for the industrial food and beverage manufacturing industry globally. The company’s portfolio includes a new technology center, Linxis North American Technology Center, utilized for the testing and demonstration of the latest in industry-leading ingredient automation, mixing and pre-dough technologies, as well as leading-edge process control IIoT technology. They have also advanced into automated solutions for the pet food market.
