Meridian Performance Appoints Mars Health & Wellness Global CFO Kaj van den Kieboom as Strategic Advisor
CHARLOTTE, NC – November 6, 2025 – Meridian Performance Systems, the computer vision company transforming mobile devices into precision measurement tools, today announced the appointment of Kaj van den Kieboom as Strategic Advisor. Van den Kieboom, who currently serves as Global Chief Financial Officer for Mars Health & Wellness, overseeing KIND North America, Nature's Bakery, Tru Fru, and H&W International—will guide Meridian's financial strategy, fundraising efforts, and expansion into manufacturing and consumer packaged goods markets.
"We are incredibly excited and fortunate to have Kaj join our advisory team at such a pivotal moment in Meridian's growth," said Josh Kohn, CEO and Co-founder of Meridian Performance Systems. "His extraordinary track record of scaling billion-dollar businesses at Mars and KIND, combined with his deep operational expertise across manufacturing and supply chain, makes him the ideal advisor as we expand our computer vision platform from golf into healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer goods applications."
Van den Kieboom brings unparalleled expertise from his 17-year career in global consumer goods leadership. As Global CFO of Mars Health & Wellness, he oversees financial operations for a $2 billion portfolio of better-for-you brands. His previous roles include CFO of KIND, where he led the brand's financial transformation during a critical growth phase, and CFO North America at Newell Brands, managing approximately $1 billion in revenue. His operational experience spans finance leadership for 18 confectionery factories across the Americas and managing over $3 billion in M&A transactions at Mars Corporate Development.
"Meridian's breakthrough computer vision technology represents exactly the kind of innovation that can transform traditional industries," said van den Kieboom. "Their ability to track transparent objects and process complex visual data on mobile devices opens extraordinary possibilities across manufacturing, quality control, and consumer applications. I'm thrilled to help Josh, Dr. Cody Phillips, and the team scale this platform into the massive opportunity ahead."
Meridian's proprietary computer vision technology, developed by CTO Dr. Cody Phillips (PhD in Computer Vision from UPenn, previously co-founded Avvir which was acquired post-Series B), has been trained on over 400,000 real-world samples to handle the shadows, reflections, and environmental challenges that defeat conventional systems. The company is using its technical foundation for strategic expansion into enterprise markets.
Van den Kieboom will advise Meridian on financial management excellence, compensation and incentive design, fundraising strategy, and performance metrics implementation. His extensive network within the CPG ecosystem, particularly in manufacturing and retail channels, will accelerate Meridian's enterprise expansion as the company scales toward its goals. "Kaj's appointment reinforces our commitment to building world-class operations as we scale," added Kohn. "His experience implementing Fortune 500-caliber financial systems, combined with his deep understanding of manufacturing operations and supply chain optimization, will be invaluable as we execute enterprise deals and expand our platform across verticals."
About Meridian Performance Systems
Meridian Performance Systems transforms mobile devices into precision measurement tools through breakthrough computer vision technology. Founded by CEO Josh Kohn (former Army Ranger, J.P. Morgan investment banker, and co-founder of DebtBook) and CTO Dr. Cody Phillips (PhD in AI/ML from UPenn specializing in computer vision metrology; and Co-founder of Avvir), Meridian's platform enables any camera to understand and measure the physical world with unprecedented accuracy. The company's mission is to harness technology to elevate mankind, not replace it, making people safer, healthier, and more capable in pursuits that matter. For more information, visit MeridianKPS.com
