Redondo Beach-based Kinder Co., which makes children’s medicines for over-the-counter sales, has announced a longtime Johnson & Johnson pharmaceuticals veteran as its new chief executive.

Kristin Recchiuti, former chief executive of Cedar Knolls-based consumer health products company Advantice Health who also spent 20 years in various executive rolls at Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, took the helm of Kinder on Oct. 7.

Recchiuti replaced Jeremy Adams as chief executive. Adams, who co-founded Kinder in 2018, was named to the company’s board.

Kinder, which does business as KinderFarms, was initially founded by Adams, with a mission to provide “clean” alternatives to children’s medicines and electrolyte solutions, removing dyes, parabens, artificial sweeteners, flavors and other artificial additives and replacing them with natural alternatives. Adams was soon joined by actress and producer Jessica Biel as a co-founder.

KinderFarms scored some initial success by getting its first product, an electrolyte drink, into about 6,000 stores nationwide. But then the pandemic hit, disrupting shopping patterns. After retooling its production process, KinderFarms re-emerged after the initial pandemic lockdown with a new suite of alternative children’s medicines and related products under the KinderMed label. Those over-the-counter products can now be found on shelves in more than 30,000 stores, including WalMart, CVS, Walgreens and RiteAid.

That growth was enough to propel KinderFarms into the No. 45 spot on Inc. magazine’s 2023 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies, with a revenue growth rate of 8,744%. (Kinder declined to provide actual revenues.)

Last year, Kinder completed its second round of financing, led by an investment of unspecified amount from Venice-based GroundForce Capital, which specializes in investments in agriculture, packaged goods and food tech.

This leadership change comes as the company starts using the proceeds from its fundraise to expand further, with the aim to bring its clean medicine to the masses.

“It’s inspiring to join KinderFarms at such an exciting time, advancing a family-first approach to health and wellness through trusted OTC solutions,” Recchiuti said in the announcement. “I’m eager to work with this exceptional team and dedicated board to expand our impact in delivering products families feel great about using.”