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Diamond Foods, based in Stockton, California, is a premium snack food and culinary nut company with a diversified and successful portfolio. Diamond Foods has five premium product lines consisting of potato chips, popcorn, and a variety of nuts. Brands offered by Diamond Foods include Diamond of California, Pop-Secret, Emerald, and the Kettle Brand; these products are sold in over 100 countries. Diamond Foods has a historical reputation of making bold and expensive acquisitions. Due to the competition within the snack food industry, Diamond Foods developed an aggressive company culture that placed high emphasis upon performance. The company was known for operating according to the phrase “bigger is better,” which was implemented by former CEO Michael Mendes. However, without strong ethical oversight, questionable behavior began to persist at Diamond Foods. In 2011, an investigation was launched into the company’s financial measures and policies in response to multiple allegations of fraud. This investigation led to serious implications for the company, including major financial losses and the imminent need to restructure the company’s top leadership. After the investigation, the company began to focus on rebuilding the company’s image. Diamond’s current president and CEO Brian J. Driscoll has aimed to develop comprehensive strategic initiatives to advance the company past its ethical dilemmas, instill trust among investors and consumers, and bounce back from the accounting scandal that created both financial and reputational losses. Diamond Foods agreed to pay $5 million to settle fraud charges.

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