Jim Leighton, CEO
Jim has more than 30 years of experience in global CPG and has held executive leadership roles at Perdue Farms, Boulder Brands, and ConAgra. He brings a passion for sharing vision and inspiring teams to reach their full potential, continues to serve on the boards of several organizations, and is the author of Getting F.I.T.: Unleashing the Power of Fully Integrated Teams.
David Sarkisian, CFO
David is a hands-on, performance-driven leader who develops and executes financial strategies across wholesale, retail, and e-commerce channels. He has consistently achieved profitability and surpassed cost targets, builds strong cross-functional partnerships in fast-paced environments, and delivers results by communicating clearly and implementing effective, ground-up solutions.
Melissa Evwiehor, HR Director
Melissa brings extensive human resources experience to Village Gourmet and serves as Human Resources Director. She has led HR operations across hospitality, retail, and fashion, managing recruiting, benefits, employee relations, payroll, and overall HR strategy.
Before joining Village Gourmet, she oversaw HR functions for Carlisle Etcetera LLC and multi-location hospitality organizations, gaining strong expertise in policy development, workforce planning, and talent management.
Sébastien Espinasse, President - Hayward CA
Sebastien brings 22 years of experience with Fabrique Délices, where he has contributed to product development, brand building, marketing, public relations, and sales. He has cultivated deep expertise within the specialty food community and maintains active involvement across numerous professional organizations, serving in roles such as ambassador, board member, president, and industry speaker.
Claudia Dionne, Marketing Director
Claudia is passionate about gourmet food and brand building and brings more than five years of food and beverage marketing experience to her work. She has earned an M.S. in Marketing from Hult International Business School in London and a B.S. in International Business from Bryant University, and she channels her creativity into crafting engaging brand experiences. Outside of work, she enjoys hosting friends and family with good food, wine, and flowers.
Hameed Khattak Director, Operations - Wilkes Barre PA
Hameed brings extensive experience in CPG and food and beverage manufacturing and has spent more than sixteen years in progressive leadership roles across highly regulated, multi-site operations.
He has led major manufacturing teams as Plant Manager for HP Hood’s Ice Cream Division, strengthening safety systems and driving continuous improvement. Before joining Village Gourmet, he built a successful operations consulting business serving clients across the U.S., the Middle East, and Africa.
Jim Jorgenson, Plant Manager, New Haven CT
J.J. joins Village Gourmet with extensive experience in hospitality and food operations.
He brings hands-on expertise across the full production process, is well-versed in FDA, USDA, and SQF standards, and has implemented GMPs, SSOPs, and HACCP systems throughout his career. A strong advocate of Lean practices, he focuses on continuous improvement and workflow optimization to support safe, high-performing operations and is a people-first leader who values collaboration, training, and culture-building.
Meabh (Pronounced “Mave”) O’Neill, VP of National Sales
Meabh brings more than 23 years of experience in the specialty food industry and has established herself as a dedicated and accomplished sales professional. She has built a well-rounded portfolio spanning olives, cheese, and pâté, giving her a deep understanding of the perfect charcuterie experience. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and participating in her weekly choir club.