Irwin Simon

Irwin Simon

Doctor of Commerce

IRWIN SIMON graduated from Saint Mary's with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979. He went on to a number of senior sales and marketing positions with prominent food companies, building a base of experience for a bold entrepreneurial move. Simon began acquiring under-managed specialty brand food companies, placing them under competent centralized management and high quality-control standards. He then went on to acquire the Hain Pure Food Company, a company founded in 1926 and one of North America's oldest and most prominent natural food businesses selling a variety of products which contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Other major acquisitions followed. Under Simon's leadership, Hain is now the nation's largest natural food business with 18 health food companies under its jurisdiction and annual sales revenues of over $200 million.

Notwithstanding his multifaceted roles as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hain Food Group Inc. Simon is Chairman of the New York City Gotham Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization and sits on the board of two other public companies. Irwin Simon was awarded the 1997 Ernst and Young, Long Island "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award and was named by Business Week as one of the "Top Entrepreneurs" for 1998.