9 Questions with our new CFO Chuck Kurth
We’re excited to share that Imperfect Foods has a new Chief Financial Officer! Chuck Kurth brings a tremendous amount of experience to our growing team at Imperfect, having worked for decades in finance for retail companies, both public and private, and most recently at Art.com. He’s passionate about furthering our mission and helping our company grow with integrity. Our podcast host Reilly sat down with him for a fun interview. Let’s meet Chuck!
Reilly Brock: Where did you grow up?
Chuck Kurth: I grew up in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. It’s a really small town in a farming community near Sioux City and a good place to be from. Many of our friends and family were farmers. In fact, my first job was weeding a corn field. I got paid 25 cents an hour to work in a corn field in the hot Iowa sun which taught me the value of food and hard work in equal measure!
RB: How did you end up in finance?
CK: Honestly, I fell into it in college. I went to Iowa State and majored in accounting and economics. Very early on, I recognized that if you were going to be in finance, it was important to be in an industry that was interesting and exciting to you. For me that was retail, and that is the space I have worked in my whole career. It was intrinsically interesting to me and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.
RB: What drew you to Imperfect Foods?
CK: The people were a major draw, as was the chance to join a company like this at a time of tremendous growth and opportunity. The mission is also very important to me. I grew up in the heartland, so knowing that we are also solving problems for our local farmers and suppliers is an added plus.
RB: What would you like the Imperfect Foods community to know about you?
CK: I’m incredibly passionate about our mission to reduce food waste and create a food system that works better for everyone. I know that some people think accountant types are ultra serious and boring, but I want people to know that just isn’t true. My younger colleagues are always surprised to find that, when I’m really jamming at work, I’m listening to house music. It keeps my energy going when I need to stay focused on an important project.
RB: What do you like to do outside of work?
CK: I love my wife and two boys, so family time is very important to me. I’m also a big college sports fan. Both my wife and son went to USC so I love watching USC games. I am also a big fan of Bikram yoga, travel, and California cabernet.
RB: What’s your favorite fruit or vegetable?
CK: Eggplant. It’s perhaps an unusual or unpopular choice, but I just love it. I enjoy it simply grilled on the barbecue, in a caponata, or any other type of Italian dish.
RB: How do you try to reduce waste in your kitchen?
CK: We tend to use every bit of food or leftover we have. My wife and I have yet to find something that doesn’t taste good inside an omelette.
RB: If you’re cooking for someone and want to make them feel loved, what are you going to make for them?
CK: I make the best chicken piccata and pasta carbonara. Period. It is a New Year’s Day tradition in our house and I’m really proud of it. The secret to a good picatta is to go heavy on the lemon and the capers. With my carbonara I never skimp on the cheese or the prosciutto.
RB: What’s your go-to song to sing in the kitchen?
CK: Probably Love’s Divine by Seal. If you heard me sing you would know that I am not encouraged to do so in the kitchen, or anywhere else for that matter.
