Jones Soda Co. has named two to its operations team with the goal of supporting growth and innovation.

"I am excited to welcome new team members to Jones," said Jones CEO David Knight. "All bring a wealth and range of beverage and operational experience and relationships. It is great to have some of my PepsiCo alumni joining Jones."

Eric Bittner has joined Jones as chief operating officer, bringing 20 years of leadership in the beverage industry to lead the company's operations. He most recently led turnarounds at Roar Organic's and Fever Tree, where he served as the SVP of North American manufacturing. Additionally, he has held supply chain leadership positions at Keurig Dr. Pepper, Niagara Bottling and PepsiCo. Throughout his career, Bittner has been at the forefront of manufacturing innovation and has been focused on the commercialization of vertically integrated platforms across multiple beverage categories at some of the largest beverage manufacturers globally. 

Mary Money has been named director of new product development and commercialization. Money is an experienced R&D scientist, with more than 30 years of experience in food and beverage. She has worked for PepsiCo, ConAgra Foods and Newman's Own in the roles of product development, new product commercialization, process engineering and project management. Money formerly represented the United States on the National Women's Rugby Team, the Eagles. She is a currently competitive Ironman Triathlete and a grandmother.

The new operations team follows Jones' expansion into alcoholic beverages and food service, with other products and categories to come. The company launched its cannabis brand, Mary Jones, in 2022, which has rapidly grown among California and Washington dispensaries, as well as recent expansion to Canada and hemp.