MEET TEAM GBD!
ABOUT US
Lucas Giordano, CEO
As the Founder and CEO of Giordano Business Development, Lucas is driven to help clients create natural and organic foods to bring to progressive grocers. This passion was incubated while working in the food service side at Whole Foods Market, Zagara's Specialty Natural Foods and Ukrop's Supermarkets. For Lucas, food is both a vocation and a vacation. He is passionate about great tasting, sustainably sourced foods and whether he is preparing dishes for friends and family or dining in the newest restaurant he keeps on the cutting edge of culinary trends. Lucas is an outside the box thinker that enjoys the challenge of keeping up with the ever evolving natural and organic industry.
It is Lucas' ability to build trusting relationships and his understanding of the needs of his clients and the industry at large that makes GBD so unique and successful. He personally interacts with retailers and manufacturers focusing on developing strong value driven partnerships that create a winning proposition for all entities. He continues to exemplify this hands on business model by traveling the country-visiting retailers and doing culinary presentations to show the applications of the manufacturers products.
Robin Giordano, CFO
Robin brings her strong culinary background and her business acumen to Giordano Business Development. Her passion for providing the best foods, which means organic and Non-GMO to stores begins at home. Robin practices what she preaches by having established her own organic Non-GMO garden, which produces fruits and vegetables. She maintains a chicken coop of 7 free- range chickens supplying friends and family with a variety of eggs each morning.
As the CFO, Robin uses her vast experience in brokerage and manufacturing to guide GBD’s Financial Organization. In addition, she continuously uses her knowledge of the natural food industry to guide special projects at GBD.
Lucas Giordano and Robin Giordano perfectly balance a passion for the culinary world and their vast knowledge of the food industry to make Giordano Business Development the rising star in the world of natural and organic foods providers. The horses have made a great addition to the farm and are the apples of both Robin and her daughter Olivia’s eye.
Jesse Giordano, COO
As the Chief Operating Officer, Jesse focuses on ensuring our team delivers best in class service to GBDs Retailer, Supplier and Distributor partners. In addition, he has a focus on driving internal operational effectiveness. Jesse creates success using his project management and professional consulting skills. He honed these skills while working as a learning consultant for one of the world’s most acclaimed professional services firms.
Jesse has a passion for people and food which is a perfect pairing for GBD. Jesse’s favorite activities include smoking BBQ with Lucas at the Giordano Farm, playing softball, coaching his son’s baseball, watching his daughter swim and being the comic relief here at GBD!
Thaddeus Thorne, Senior Director of Sales
After, studying Chemical Engineering at University of Minnesota and doing summer internships Thaddeus landed a full-time position in Product Development at P&G. He led the new business development team for Folgers where he was given the opportunity to work cross-functionally to build and launch new products into retail.
Upon leaving P&G he moved to Southern California to start a company that produced ready to drink beverages in a self-heating container. Being a startup, he wore many hats including sales. He quickly found that selling was his passion. As a side note, he also found a passion for surfing and all things ocean related. Now, the story gets interesting as this newfound passion for surfing and the ocean created an new passion for Thaddeus. He realized he wanted to help change the food industry in a way that would help protect Earth’s natural resources.
This newfound interest led him to Gardein. At Gardein, he pioneered the Plant-Based industry, growing their Foodservice business from the ground up. Upon, Gardeins sale to Pinnacle Foods he left to build the Sambazon Açai brand into a nationwide leader in the category.
His sales strategy has always started in the Non-Commercial Foodservice space. He loves working with C&Us and B&Is to bring the products that their clientele craves. Thaddeus is excited to bring his knowledge and experience to the already outstanding GBD Team.
Megan Simyak, Director of Sales and Culinary
Megan joins the GBD team with a culinary background and 7 years of CPG experience. Her time as a Pastry Chef in Cincinnati as the Head Chef running a 6,000sq.ft. bakery and then moving on to become the Managing Pastry Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Kroger Division. After moving to West Virginia, she stayed in Kroger stores with a Marketing Firm as an Account Manager with a focus on supporting store openings with Bakery Category Management and team training. She then transitioned over to the world of sales and data analytics supporting a nation-wide retail sales team in Walmart stores. Megan has a passion for people and building strong relationships that lead to growth and successful partnerships.
Growing up with a history buff father, Megan really takes advantage of the rich history of the Richmond/ Williamsburg VA area visiting museums and battle fields. Her competitive spirit comes out on the golf course in the summer months and the squash court in the winter. Living on the James River, Megan also enjoys being out on the water and utilizing the network of trails the area has to offer.
Teresa Lewis, Senior Business Manager
In her role as Senior Business Manager, Teresa is our primary point of contact for our supplier partners. She works, in partnership, with our suppliers to ensure GBD's supplier network is provided high quality support as they sell their products into the distribution and retail network. Teresa enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her three sons.
Madison Giordano, Assistant Manager of Sales and Culinary
Madison is the Assistant Manager of Sales and Culinary, working closely with Megan and Lucas to develop opportunities for new and existing clients. Madison graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2021 with her BA in Sociology. During her time in undergraduate, she managed to enroll in several courses related to the food industry, furthering her passion for the subject. Prior to joining GBD, Madison was employed as a paralegal at an international law firm.
Growing up in a household passionate about food sparked Madison’s interest at an early age. Some of her favorite memories revolve around family dinners. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, and experimenting with new and unique flavors. On a sunny summer day in Richmond, you can find Madison at the farmers market excitedly picking out the freshest local produce while planning a meal to share with family and friends.
and the extended "family" at the Giordano home garden
