The maker of a $700 healthy juicer just hired a former Coca-Cola president to be its new CEO

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juicero doug evans

Juicero

Juicero's CEO and founder Doug Evans is stepping down at the end of October.

There's been a shakeup in the land of Silicon Valley juicers.

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Doug Evans, the founder and CEO of the $700 juice machine maker is stepping aside.

In his place, Jeff Dunn, a former president of Coca-Cola North America is taking over as CEO effective October 31, according to a press release announcing the change.

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Evans will remain chairman of the board and continue to help the company with strategic relationships.

Juicero had a splashy debut in early 2016 after emerging from years in stealth with a $700, wi-fi connected juicer. The company drew a lot of criticism at the time for developing an expensive product, but the company said on Monday that growth is "accelerating."

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The Juicero founder's sudden resignation from the top job shortly after the product launch comes as a surprise. Juicero said in its announcement that the change was being made because Dunn was the right person to "execute the next phase of our ambitious vision."

Dunn's hire will bring his years of expertise dealing with fresh food to the juicer company, which manages its own supply chain. Dunn was already on the board of Juicero as a result of his previous role at Campbell Soup Company where he was president of its Campbell Fresh department. The food company was an early investor in Juicero, which raised more than $120 million from the Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists.

Before his time at Campbell Soup Company, Dunn was also president of Coca-Cola North America from 2000 to 2004.

"In a short period of time, Juicero has poised itself to reinvent not only the premium juice category, but more broadly the future of fresh food," Dunn said in the press release. "Since launching a mere six months ago, Doug and his senior executive team have built a strong foundation and are on the cusp of significant growth. They've already achieved strong early revenue and monthly growth, and have disciplined themselves in California in preparation for greater consumer and commercial expansion in 2017."

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