Elizabeth McLaughlin is the founder and chief executive officer of Red Wagon Group, a strategic consultancy helping consumer-facing companies—from fast-growing startups to established enterprises—define who they are, harness consumer insights, develop and refine products and sales strategies, accelerate growth, expand margins, and unlock enterprise value.

With over 25 years of experience leading sales, marketing, product development, and research, Elizabeth brings a rare blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution to every client engagement. Her career spans fast-scaling startups, privately held businesses, and large public companies, giving her a wide-angle view of the commercial and operational levers that drive sustainable growth.

She most recently served as Executive Vice President of Sales at Westrock Coffee Company, where she led commercial strategy and product innovation for some of the world’s largest retail and foodservice brands. During her 12-year tenure, she also served as Group President of Sales, Marketing, and Client Services, helping steer Westrock’s transformation into a publicly traded, mission-driven global enterprise. Her leadership was instrumental in scaling retail and private label manufacturing, launching sustainable product initiatives, and driving quality assurance and customer success.

Earlier in her career, Elizabeth led sales and marketing at PBM Products (now Perrigo), where she helped build the company’s private-label infant nutrition business. She was also owner and COO at SIR Research, a Richmond-based consumer insights consultancy, and served as Vice President of Research for the Virginia Tourism Corporation. She began her professional journey in investor relations and corporate communications at Alltel.

Throughout her career, Elizabeth has successfully partnered with top national retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, HEB, Trader Joe’s, CVS, Walgreens, Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon, and more—delivering growth strategies and innovations that meet both consumer demand and customer needs. Elizabeth is known for building trusted, long-term relationships that deliver measurable impact.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas.

A passionate advocate for purpose-driven leadership, Elizabeth is committed to building businesses that matter—and giving back to the communities that shape us.