January 5/Boca Raton, Fla./Business Wire -- DNA Beverage Corporation announced the promotion of industry veteran Russ Rickon to national vice president of Sales. The promotion comes less than one year since joining the company.

Darren Marks, president of DNA stated, "From day one, Russ has demonstrated the kind of leadership qualities that are necessary to take DNA to the next level and make it a serious contender in the functional drink category." Marks added, "Whether utilizing his spotless reputation within the industry to obtain corporate accounts like Circle K, Walgreens and 7-Eleven or rolling up his sleeves and working hand-in-hand with our ground troops to develop street programs that fit today's economy, Russ has more than proven his worth and earned our extreme confidence in naming him vice president of National Sales. The decision to charge Russ with the enormous responsibility of growing sales was made easier by his steadfast determination and belief in his methods that have proven successful."

"I'm very pleased by this promotion and look forward to addressing the responsibilities and challenges that come with it," said Rickon. "I originally joined DNA because I believed in the quality of the product and people. For those same reasons and the enormous strides we have made over the past few months, I expect that 2009 will prove to be very successful in positioning DNA Energy Drink as a consumer favorite."

From the January 19, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition