The American Egg Board (AEB) recently made key appointments to bolster strategic focal areas, including the hiring of Kate Karnas as director of channel marketing and Christopher Bowers as manager of consumer insights, along with the promotion of John Gallagher to an important, new role. The moves reflect the AEB’s ongoing investment in strengthening its marketing, insights and industry engagement efforts to increase demand for eggs and egg products.

Karnas has more than a decade of agency-side experience in food and ingredient marketing, having developed integrated campaigns for organizations, including the Almond Board of California, Taylor Farms, HZPC/Potato Glory and Griffith Foods, during her time at Porter Novelli. At the AEB, Karnas will oversee channel-specific campaigns and collaborate across teams to build industry partnerships and position eggs as an essential and versatile solution across applications.

“Kate’s expertise in ingredient marketing, trade strategy and brand storytelling makes her a powerful addition to our team,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the AEB. “She understands the food industry from every angle and will help us better connect with key decision-makers. Her work will support our efforts to position eggs as a go-to solution for chefs, food manufacturers and retailers — meeting evolving customer needs, opening new opportunities and driving impact for America’s egg farmers.”

Karnas’ appointment reinforces the AEB’s commitment to expanding its influence across food industry channels. Her work will enhance the AEB’s ability to support egg producers through strong industry partnerships, insight-driven programs and initiatives that grow demand in ingredient, foodservice and retail markets domestically and internationally.

Bowers joins the AEB as manager of consumer insights, bringing a strong background in marketing research and shopper insights. Most recently, he served as senior account manager at Circana, where he led insight generation and strategic analysis for clients, including PepsiCo. His earlier experience includes leadership roles at DS-IQ, where he supported digital shopper marketing efforts for Walmart, and Kantar/Millward Brown in research and project management.

“Chris’ deep expertise in translating complex consumer data into actionable insights will be instrumental in elevating our marketing strategy,” Metz said. “His ability to connect the dots between shopper behavior, industry trends and business needs will help us build stronger connections with foodservice, retail and manufacturing partners — and ultimately create more impact for America’s egg farmers.”

At the AEB, Bowers will support consumer insights, using research and data to guide strategic decision-making, identify growth opportunities, and help shape the narrative of eggs as a relevant and in-demand food in every channel. Additionally, he will serve as the lead support for the AEB Newsroom — monitoring media and conversation trends and identifying emerging topics. He will also guide the development of the newsroom’s capabilities to support the AEB’s strategic goals.

In addition to the new appointments, the AEB announced a key internal promotion.

Gallagher has been promoted to associate director of industry affairs and engagement after previously serving as manager of insights. He will focus on strengthening relationships with egg producers and industry partners while leading industry engagement initiatives.

“John has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, strategic thinking and a deep commitment to advancing the AEB’s mission,” Metz said. “In his new role, his focus on industry initiatives and partnerships will be instrumental in strengthening our collaborations and driving demand for eggs in ways that benefit America’s egg farmers.”

About the American Egg Board
Home of the Incredible Egg, the American Egg Board is the national marketing organization of America’s egg farmers. Its mission is to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education and promotion. The AEB is located in Chicago.