Sebastian Siethoff has worked all across the food industry for 25 years, from smaller startups to the biggest names in the business. This includes executive roles as chief business development officer at CSM Global Bakery Solutions (now Rise Baking, CSM Ingredients, and Baker & Baker), general manager at Ball Corp., and marketing and business development roles at Wrigley, Mars and McDonald’s. 

Siethoff knows a good opportunity when he sees one, and the chance to lead Rubicon Bakers as chief executive officer was too good to pass up. The bakery’s impact on the community was a big draw, he said, as well as its high-quality products with ample opportunity for growth. 

“Our competitive advantage lies in the fact that we scratch bake everything and we are very clean label,” he said. “I know that everything starts and ends with a good product.”

The bakery’s premium products, as well as its B Corp status, will only become more relevant with consumers, Siethoff said, especially younger generations who are more conscious about the companies they buy from. 

“What I’m here to do is scale both the mission and the business in unison,” he explained. 

Reflecting on his career and first year as Rubicon’s CEO, Siethoff said he’s realized that the satisfaction of a company’s employees is just as important to its success as how well it operates.

“You can have the best systems, processes, strategies and institutional backing, but if people aren’t really wired to bring their best ingenuity forward, it all doesn’t matter,” he said.

With high-quality products and a workforce that’s cared for, there’s no shortage of opportunity for Rubicon Bakers. Siethoff will be instrumental in this growth and has already added an additional layer of enthusiasm to the company, said John Clinkscales, Rubicon Bakers’ chief financial officer. 

“He’s constantly preaching ‘walk the talk,’ ” he said. “We want to make sure that if folks hear about the wonderful stuff we’re doing via social media or our website or Baking & Snack, they should be able to come in on a random Tuesday and walk around this bakery and feel that there’s something different going on here.”

This article is an excerpt from the March 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Rubicon Bakers, click here.