Chris Baggott stepping down as ClusterTruck CEO; successor named
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Janet Monroe, who’s served as president of ClusterTruck since November, was announced Tuesday as the new CEO of the Indianapolis-based company that bills itself as “America’s first delivery-only kitchen.”
Monroe will succeed Chris Baggott, who co-founded ClusterTruck in 2015 with Dan McFadden. Baggott plans to continue his involvement in ClusterTruck through his role as board chair.
“Janet’s passion for innovation, commitment to excellence, and deep understanding of our industry make her the ideal choice to take over as CEO,” Baggott said in a written statement.
Monroe, who joined the staff of ClusterTruck as chief legal officer in 2017, previously worked at Alerding Castor Hewitt LLP, Epic Hospitality Group and Brannon Sowers & Cracraft PC.
“I am honored to take the wheel at ClusterTruck,” Monroe said in a written statement. “While Chris steps down from his CEO role, his visionary leadership has set an impeccable standard for innovation. We’re fortunate to still have Chris’ guidance as chairman of the board. Our commitment to revolutionizing the food delivery ecosystem remains paramount, and I am enthusiastic about guiding our path toward new horizons and sustainable growth, including franchising.”
Baggott, one of Indiana‘s most successful serial entrepreneurs, co-founded direct-email firm ExactTarget with his brother-in-law, Scott Dorsey, in 2000. ExactTarget went public in 2012 and was acquired by Salesforce for $2.5 billion in 2013. Baggott also founded Compendium Software, which was acquired by Oracle Corp., before turning his attention to food.
ClusterTruck is recognized as a pioneer in the “ghost kitchen” concept of preparing food exclusively for timely delivery. ClusterTruck operates kitchens in downtown Indianapolis, Broad Ripple and Castleton, as well as locations in Columbus, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri.
In 2022, ClusterTruck spun off its software platform into a stand-alone business called Empower Delivery. ClusterTruck co-founder McFadden serves as Empower’s chief technology officer. Meredith Sandland is Empower’s CEO.