
Ben joined the Birchwood executive team in 2021 as EVP of Food Safety Quality Assurance. In 15 years of meat industry leadership, Ben has built an authentic and aggressive approach to food safety. At Birchwood he has overseen development of an energetic, data-driven organization that couples emergent technologies with hands-on immersion to drive cultural change. Ben maintains scientific and professional associations throughout the industry.
Ottavio “John” Ruffolo started his career with Birchwood Foods in 1980. He has 35 years of experience in operation management. John has held numerous positions in the company and in 2002 was promoted to his current title. He is responsible for overseeing procurement and our four processing facilities.
Dale Ward started his career with Birchwood Foods in 1989 as a Staff Accountant. Since then Dale has held numerous positions in the company such as Accounting Manager and Controller. In 2023 he was promoted to his current title. He is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of our four processing facilities.
Charlie brings more than 22 years of industry experience to his current role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Birchwood. Since joining the company in 2013, he has held leadership roles across operations, sanitation, FSQA, and maintenance, giving him broad insight into Birchwood’s core functions.
Dennis has been with Birchwood Foods since 1978. Prior to becoming President and CEO in 1993, he was President of Birchwood Transport and continues to hold that position. He has been a member of the Kenosha Beef International Board of Directors since 1984. Dennis is a past Chairman of the North American Meat Association (NAMI) and is currently a member of the Executive Committee.