# Jim Collins

> Jim Collins is the Chief Executive Officer of Basic American Foods, a 90-plus-year-old, family-owned food manufacturer headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. He stepped into the CEO seat in 2023 after serving as the company's CFO. Before BAF, his career wound through PwC, Foster's Group in Australia, Robert Mondavi, Beringer, and a stint at telecom-era start-ups Yipes and Spinway. A Chico State business graduate, he runs a roughly $625M revenue, 1,300-employee enterprise best known for instant mashed potatoes, dehydrated onion and garlic, beans and foodservice ingredients sold under brands like Idaho Spuds, Potato Pearls, Santiago, and Golden Grill.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Basic American Foods
- **Organizations:** Basic American Foods
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S., Business, California State University, Chico
- **Known for:** Rose from CFO to CEO of one of America's oldest privately held food manufacturers, Oversees roughly $625M in annual revenue and ~1,300 employees, Stewards a portfolio including Idaho Spuds, Potato Pearls, Santiago, Golden Grill and Brilliant Beginnings

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers
- **late 1990s/2000s** — Finance roles at Robert Mondavi and Beringer wine companies
- **2000s** — Stints at internet-era companies Yipes and Spinway
- **2000s** — Finance role at Foster's Group, Australia
- **pre-2023** — Chief Financial Officer, Basic American Foods
- **2023** — Promoted to Chief Executive Officer, Basic American Foods

## Achievements

- Rose from CFO to CEO of one of America's oldest privately held food manufacturers
- Oversees roughly $625M in annual revenue and ~1,300 employees
- Stewards a portfolio including Idaho Spuds, Potato Pearls, Santiago, Golden Grill and Brilliant Beginnings

## Latest updates

- **2023-06** — Named Chief Executive Officer of Basic American Foods after serving as CFO.

## Links

- Website: https://baf.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-collins-413a239/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/basicamericanfoods/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jim-collins
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30