Malt-O-Meal® CFO John Gappa has been named CFO of the Year in the large private company category by the Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal.

Gappa was selected from a group of three finalists to receive the Business Journal award. His accomplishments include installing a risk-management program that has saved the company more than eight figures, and helping Malt-O-Meal double its sales in the last five years.

Through his thoughtful management, Gappa also created a sophisticated strategy for analyzing how money is spent on plants and equipment, which was crucial as the company invested more than $100 million to build and expand its plants over the last several years.

Gappa’s leadership has also extended beyond just straight dollars and cents – he is credited with helping the firm improve employee engagement and the quality of its workplace. In addition, Malt-O-Meal implement its first telecommuting program under his tenure.

“John understands that the right answers can’t always be figured out with a spreadsheet. Over the long term, our financial strength is driven by the strength of our people, our products, and the relationship we have with our customers. John is able to think and act strategically, and that’s what makes him a great CFO,” said Chris Neugent, Malt-O-Meal’s chairman and CEO.

A graduate of the Carlson School of Management, Gappa is a six-year veteran of Malt-O-Meal. He joined the team as CFO in 2005, after four years as CFO at Universal Hospital Services. He began his career at Pillsbury. He also serves as board chair of the American Refugee Committee and a board member of the Minnesota Zoo.

Read the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal article here.