Berjé elevates COO Hart to president

Brian Hart is moving up the ranks at Berjé Inc. where he has spent the last nine years.

On Friday, the Carteret-based essential oils and aromatic chemicals distributor announced Hart’s promoted from chief operating officer to president. He started with the 70-year-old company as chief financial officer.

Hart succeeds David Herbst in the position.

Herbst, who has been with the company since 2003, will assume the role of corporate vice president.

Hart took on the COO role at Berjé in 2019, where the company said he spearheaded efforts to drive growth and efficiency. As president, he will work closely with Chief Executive Officer Gillian Bleimann-Boucard, who took the helm as the third generation of family leadership at the beginning of October.

“Brian’s skillset is unique. His leadership mixed with his passion for operations and strong financial background enable him to provide tangible and creative solutions across our organization,” said Bleimann-Boucard. “He has demonstrated a deep commitment to and understanding of our vision and values, and is dedicated to investing in our people and our systems and processes to ensure we can continue to meet and exceed the demands of our global client base.”

Before joining Berje, Hart was CFO for Sportcraft Ltd. Previously, he spent 15 years at Mars Inc. in a variety of roles.