About K&E Marketing

The K&E Marketing team brings over 75 years of combined experience in the food and beverage industry, the brokerage business and the culinary world. We are passionate about developing programs to meet market demands and help deepen market penetration, and on coordinating teams of supply chain experts, strategic business partners, account executives, and member relations staff to deliver tailored customer solutions. With our talented team of seasoned leaders possessing a unique combination of expertise in the many channels of food-related business, we are dedicated to building and promoting products while helping clients' organizations grow and profit.

Ken Cohen, Partner and Founder

There is a relatively small segment of leaders in the business world: individuals who seem to be able to build relationships, trust, and rapport with almost anyone, and then are able to broker the relationships and make connections between people, creating partnerships and alliances, and motivating forward momentum to "get things done." Ken Cohen is one of those people. Getting things done and driving results—through collaboration, partnerships, and relationships—as a senior manager in the natural food industry. Ken's career has expanded far beyond executive management. Promoted twice in his ten-year tenure with Comar Sales, culminating in a VP position, Ken also worked as a VP of Revlon in the San Diego area. Promoted twice in his four year period at that company, in his final role he managed start-up and daily operations of 7 total divisions generating aggregated annual revenue of $15 million. As a former professional motorcycle racer, he is an excellent agent of change and has a documented track record of accomplishments that include the turnaround of chaotic and struggling operations; start-ups, etc. Today Ken is passionate in developing programs to meet market demands and help deepen market penetration, and on coordinating teams of supply chain experts, strategic business partners, account executives, and member relations staff to deliver programs, services, and tailored customer solutions.

Gene Muzzio, Partner and Founder

Gene Muzzio has worked in various channels of the food industry literally all his life. His love affair with the food industry began as he worked his way through college at the local grocery store. Soon after graduating from Santa Clara University, Gene quickly became the youngest store manager in the country for Albertsons Inc. While there he enjoyed the industry but had a strong desire to work in his own business. Following his heart he and a partner founded Total Vending Services serving the northern California market. The company quickly became one of the premier independent vend operations in Northern California. As they had many vending accounts in schools a natural extension was to become involved in the food service aspects of schools. Eventually Hayes Distributing was purchased and a new chapter in Gene's involvement in the food industry was begun. Hayes Distributing specializes in selling ala carte food items to schools. With a base of about 700 schools Gene got to know schools and the school snack business very well. In 2009 Gene's old partner bought him out and Gene started K and E Marketing with his new partner Ken Cohen. K and E Marketing, combining Gene's unique background and experience with his new partner, Ken Cohen and his 20 years of experience in retail brokering and management have sought to source unique, natural and of the quality products to bring to market.

John Gallagher, Partner and Advisory Chef

Chef John Gallagher decided that the culinary world was his calling since he was a child. Since then, he has combined his degree in Culniary Arts from Johnson and Wales University with 25 years of working in prestigious restaurants throughout the United States. During his career he has worked for elite companies such as Ritz Carlton, Walt Disney World, Houston's Restaurants, Genentech and The Cheesecake Factory. Throughout his career Chef John has gained experience in every facet of the operations of restaurants. During the later portion of his career he has served as a consultant helping open restaurants and assisting in building brands in the U.S. Markets. Currently, he "feeds" his culinary passion by sourcing natural, organic and healthy foods as a partner/advisor for K&E Marketing. "When I look for products to represent, the product has to have the following attributes: Quality Ingredients, Clean Presentation and an assurance from the manufacturers that they will never compromise any portion of their operation for the sake of profit. If you set the bar higher that everyone's expectations you never run the risk of having to dissapoint your clients."