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peter mcguinness

© Bloomberg

McGuinness Talks Strategy for Impossible Foods’ European Expansion: “Leading with Climate Didn’t Work”

At Bloomberg’s Sustainable Business Summit in London, Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible Foods, shared insights on the company’s strategy for European market expansion. Speaking with Bloomberg’s Kriti Gupta, McGuinness detailed the company’s efforts to navigate the evolving plant-based food industry and its approach to overcoming current market challenges. UK market faces plateau Impossible Foods is seeking to expand its presence in the UK and the European market. McGuinness pointed out that the UK leads Europe in plant-based consumption, offering a unique opportunity for the company. However, he noted that the market, while initially growing rapidly, has begun to plateau, largely due to issues with taste and consumer confusion. “It started with a big bang, and there was a lot of publicity around it and several …

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Lauren Maillian, President of Slutty Vegan

Lauren Maillian. Image: Slutty Vegan on LinkedIn

Slutty Vegan Appoints Tech Executive Lauren Maillian as President

US-based restaurant chain Slutty Vegan has announced the appointment of Lauren Maillian as its new President. Maillian has impressive credentials, having previously led the turnaround of a nine-figure minority-owned media company. She is also the founder and CEO of LMB Group, and was formerly President of Hero Media and CEO of digitalundivided; at the latter, she helped to grow revenue by five times. Furthermore, Maillian founded and exited Sugarleaf Vineyards, becoming the youngest self-made winery owner in the US. She has invested in over 40 consumer startups with a market cap exceeding $5 billion, and has been an advisor to OptimizeRx, Overtime, and Cartier Women’s Initiative. “Big plans” Maillian has seemingly been appointed to help Slutty Vegan recover from a difficult chapter; founder and CEO …

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Thijs Bosch and Sue Garfitt The Protein Brewery

Thijs Bosch and Sue Garfitt © The Protein Brewery

Former Cosun Executive Thijs Bosch Succeeds Sue Garfitt as CEO of The Protein Brewery

The Protein Brewery announced a leadership change with the appointment of Thijs Bosch as its new CEO, succeeding Sue Garfitt, who will transition into a non-executive role. This shift follows the company’s recent Series A fundraising and marks a strategic transition as the company advances its operations and market presence. Thijs Bosch brings over 15 years of experience in the food ingredients sector, particularly in plant-based protein markets. Prior to joining The Protein Brewery, he held senior leadership positions at Cosun, where he spearheaded the development and scaling of plant protein initiatives, and at Fonterra, a dairy ingredients company, serving most recently as Managing Director Europe. Building on a strong foundation Bosch stated, “I am honored to join The Protein Brewery at this pivotal stage. …

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Female founders from New Zealand recognised on Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list

Mrinali Kumar and Emily McIsaac. Images supplied.

Two Female Alt Protein Founders From New Zealand Named on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List

Two female founders of New Zealand-based alternative protein companies have been named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list. Mrinali (Milli) Kumar, co-founder and CEO of EatKinda, was recognised in the Arts category, while Emily McIsaac, co-founder and COO of Daisy Lab, was named in the Industry, Manufacturing & Energy category. About EatKinda EatKinda is claimed to be the world’s first cauliflower ice cream brand, and was co-founded by Kumar and plant-based chef Jenni Matheson. It upcycles cosmetically imperfect cauliflower into a frozen dessert free of dairy, gluten, nuts, and soy. EatKinda launched at New Zealand supermarkets in 2023, gaining national distribution and international interest. The products are packaged in 100% home-compostable tubs. The brand is now scaling into the US market, and …

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Rémi Cabrit of ACCRO

Rémi Cabrit. Image courtesy of ACCRO.

French Alt Meat Brand ACCRO Appoints Rémi Cabrit as Chief Financial Officer

French plant-based meat brand ACCRO has announced the appointment of Rémi Cabrit as its new Chief Financial Officer. Cabrit is a graduate of SKEMA Business School in Lille and brings significant expertise in corporate finance in the agri-food sector. He was previously CFO of gluten-free products leader ABCD Nutrition, a position he held for almost a decade. Cabrit then became head of the group’s Bulk Business Unit, where he was tasked with restructuring the business after it was impacted by the pandemic. In 2011, Cabrit founded his own company, Easy-Développement, where he was a managing partner and held several positions; the company was later acquired. According to ACCRO, he brings a range of skills in holding and industrial management control, financial resource management, and team …

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Ilya Sheyman GFI

© Ilya Sheyman

Leadership Transition at The Good Food Institute as CEO Ilya Sheyman Steps Down

The Good Food Institute (GFI) will undergo a leadership change this summer as CEO Ilya Sheyman prepares to step down from his role, effective June 2, 2025. The organization’s current Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, Jessica Almy, will serve as interim CEO while a nationwide search for a permanent successor is conducted. Strategic growth under Sheyman’s tenure Sheyman joined GFI in 2021, leading the organization through a period marked by expanded international presence and increased financial support for alternative protein research and development. During his tenure, GFI established a new affiliate in Japan and reported the mobilization of substantial private and public investment into alternative protein innovation. In a statement, Sheyman said, “Over the past three years we’ve catalyzed hundreds of millions …

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Sanah Baig plant based foods institute

Sanah Baig - Image supplied.

Plant Based Foods Institute Welcomes Former White House Policy Advisor Sanah Baig As Executive Director

The Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI) announced the appointment of Sanah Baig as its new Executive Director, effective June 9, 2025. Baig, who has extensive experience in agricultural and food policy, most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor for Agriculture and Nutrition at the White House. She also held the role of Deputy Under Secretary at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), where she led the agency’s $4+ billion science enterprise, focusing on agricultural innovation at the intersection of climate resilience, nutrition security, and food systems equity. In a statement, Baig expressed her excitement about joining PBFI, stating, “Leading PBFI at this pivotal moment is an unparalleled opportunity to architect a food system where plants take center stage. Through deep collaboration with partners across the …

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Meatable hires meat industry veterans

Image courtesy of Meatable

Meatable Hires Two Meat Industry Veterans in Strategic Move

Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable has strengthened its ties to the meat industry through the strategic hiring of two industry veterans. Maiko van der Meer is Meatable’s new Director of Commerce and will be based in the Netherlands. He has extensive experience in the meat, fish, poultry and plant-based industries, having led efforts at MOWI, Vion Food Group, 2 Sisters Food Group, and Tyson Foods. He began his new role on March 1. Eugene Leong has been appointed as Meatable’s new Head of Asia, based in Singapore. He has more than 25 years of business experience in flavors and food ingredients, most recently at McCormick and Cargill. Leong will join Meatable on May 5, helping to expand the company’s footprint in the Asian market. The …

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New Veganuary CEO Wendy Matthews

Wendy Matthews. Image: LinkedIn

Veganuary Announces New CEO & Campaign Achievements for 2025

Veganuary, the global campaign encouraging people to try a vegan diet in January, has announced that CEO Ria Rehberg is stepping down. On LinkedIn, Rehberg said she would be taking some time to rest and recharge. Wendy Matthews, Veganuary’s current Head of International Partnerships and Expansion, will take over as CEO from March 15. “While I’m grateful for this incredible progress, this moment is also bittersweet for me as it marks my final Veganuary as part of the organization,” said Rehberg. “After leading this campaign for six years and helping transform it from a primarily UK-based initiative to a truly global movement active in 20 countries worldwide, I’ve decided to step down and hand the reins to someone new. “Having worked alongside Wendy in our …

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Created by vegconomist

Female Leaders Shaping the Future of Vegan and FoodTech in 2025

The plant-based and food technology industries are undergoing a significant transformation, driven by innovation, sustainability, and ethical considerations. Women are at the forefront of this movement, leading innovative companies that are reshaping how we produce and consume food. In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting some of the visionary female founders, CEOs, and leaders who are making a significant impact in plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-based food. While there are hundreds of incredible women driving meaningful change in this space, these are some of the leaders we’re especially excited to watch in 2025 as they take their companies and the industry to new heights. Deniz Ficicioglu – Co-Founder & CEO, BettaF!sh Deniz Ficicioglu is making her mark in the plant-based seafood space with BettaF!sh, a …

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Rami Jokela Solar Foods

Rami Jokela © Solar Foods

Rami Jokela Appointed CEO of Solar Foods as Company Targets Global Markets

Solar Foods has announced the appointment of Rami Jokela as its new chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2025. Jokela, who brings extensive experience in scaling international businesses, will lead the company as it moves from research and development into global commercialization. Jokela succeeds founding CEO Pasi Vainikka, who has led the company since its inception. Vainikka will continue in an advisory role through the end of 2025 to support the leadership transition and oversee ongoing strategic initiatives. Jokela’s immediate focus will be on expanding Solar Foods’ presence in the Health & Performance Nutrition segment, with an emphasis on the US market. He is also tasked with implementing a new conceptual sales model, increasing product price points, and scaling production capacity at one of the …

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© Noel Kinder

Ex-Nike Sustainability Head Joins UNCAGED Innovations to Advance Grain-Based Leather

UNCAGED Innovations, a biomaterials company developing grain-based leather alternatives, has announced the addition of Noel Kinder, Nike’s former Chief Sustainability Officer, to its Board of Directors. With more than two decades of experience at Nike in sustainability and operations, Kinder’s appointment signals UNCAGED’s growing focus on scaling its innovative materials and expanding its global footprint. UNCAGED Innovations is the developer of BioFuze, a technology that produces a sustainable, grain-based alternative to leather by replicating the molecular structure of collagen. The resulting material offers flexibility, strength, and texture similar to traditional leather but avoids the environmental impact associated with animal-derived materials. The company has set its sights on industries such as footwear, which consumes more than 50% of the world’s leather supply. Kinder, who served in …

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Bart Wolfert livekindly collective

© Bart Wolfert

LIVEKINDLY Collective Names Bart Wolfert as Global Head of Operations

LIVEKINDLY Collective (LKC), a global group of plant-based food brands, has announced Bart Wolfert as its new Global Head of Operations. In his role, Wolfert will oversee operations across LKC’s three manufacturing facilities located in Oss, the Netherlands; Stora Levene, Sweden; and Pinetown, South Africa, which support the company’s brands and B2B clients. Wolfert brings decades of operational expertise, including experience in managing multisite and large-scale plant operations across Europe and Africa. Most recently, he served as site lead for one of Danone Nutricia’s largest and most complex facilities in the Netherlands. Prior to that, he managed factory operations for Danone in West Africa while based in Ghana, and he has also held operational roles at FrieslandCampina. The appointment places Wolfert on the company’s leadership …

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Karin Ridgers receives Best Vegan PR Company award

Karin Ridgers receives the Best Vegan PR Company award from actor and friend Peter Egan. Image supplied.

MAD Promotions Founder Karin Ridgers Receives Viva! Best Vegan PR Business Award

Karin Ridgers, the founder of MAD Promotions, has received the Best Vegan PR Business Award at vegan charity Viva!’s 30th anniversary celebration. Karin is a longtime Viva! member who has dedicated her career to helping ethical businesses gain visibility through PR and media relations. She supported Veganuary’s initial campaign and has worked with numerous vegan SMEs and charities. Additionally, she presents and promotes VegfestUK, the UK’s longest-running vegan festival. “It is always about my clients – however, this is about me and our work at MAD Promotions and I am rather chuffed to bits, especially to win an award from an organisation like Viva! that has inspired me for 30 years,” said Ridgers. “It’s been an incredible journey helping to champion vegan businesses over the …

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Quorn mince

© Quorn Foods

Quorn CEO Steps Down, Ex MD of Heineken UK David Flochel is Appointed, Says “2025 Will Be a Reset Year for the Company”

Quorn Foods today announces that current CEO, Marco Bertacca, is stepping down after five years at the helm. From next month, David Flochel, former MD of Heineken UK, will join the business and take over leadership over the course of the coming months. Bertacca replaced long-standing CEO Kevin Brennan in January 2020, and during his tenure was faced with navigating the business through the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing inflation and cost-of-living crises, plus disruption within the plant-based industry. Turbulent waters The company has since weathered a dip in sales; substantial pre-tax losses; exited retail markets including the Benelux region, and in terms of mass media and public opinion appeared to have shouldered significant blame, receiving a torrent of rather fierce backlash from both press …

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A petri dish with plant ingredients

© Ayana Bio

Plant Cell Culture Company Ayana Bio Appoints Jill Zullo, Formerly of Cargill, to Board of Directors

Plant cell culture technology company Ayana Bio announces the appointment of Jill Zullo, PhD, described as “an experienced commercial leader with deep technical roots in biotechnology”, to the company’s Board of Directors. Zullo is the former president and CEO of NatureWorks and Global Managing Director Biointermediates at Cargill. According to the company, the appointment “further underscores the focus on establishing Ayana Bio as a leader in the plant cell culture space and assembling a board of directors with diverse backgrounds of expertise to guide the company to commercial success.” Ayana Bio uses plant cell cultivation to grow plant materials, with a focus on creating ingredients that leverage plant bioactives for health and wellness products. A spinoff from Boston’s Ginkgo Bioworks, Ayana recently partnered with Wooree …

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David Weiner, Cauldron Ferm's newly appointed CTO

David Weiner - Image courtesy of Cauldron Ferm

Cauldron Appoints Biotech Veteran to Spearhead Hyper-Fermentation Solution for Alternative Proteins

Contract manufacturer organization Cauldron Ferm announces the appointment of Solugen and BASF industry veteran David Weiner as new chief technology officer. Drawing on his extensive experience in product development and scaling innovative biotech solutions, Weiner will oversee the company’s technology R&D pipeline as the Australian company embarks on its next phase of global expansion. Cauldron, founded in 2022 in Borenore, New South Wales, has developed a precision fermentation technology that promises to reach price parity — or even cheaper — with current goods such as dairy, egg, and silk proteins and widely used petrochemicals. The company recently closed a Series A funding round of over $6.25 million with investors including SOSV, In-Q-Tel, Main Sequence, and Horizons Ventures. “David brings a distinguished career leading R&D programs that …

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Jukka Kajan of Plant Based Foods Finland

Jukka Kajan. © Plant Based Foods Finland

Plant Based Foods Finland Appoints First Executive Director to Strengthen Advocacy Efforts

Industry association Plant Based Foods Finland (Pro Vege in Finnish) has appointed its first executive director, Jukka Kajan. Previously, Kajan has worked as a food industry consultant and Public Affairs Manager at Raisio Group. Niklas Kaskeala, Chairman of the Board at Plant Based Foods Finland, says Kajan’s leadership will help to strengthen the association’s advocacy efforts. “We look forward to Nordic and European cooperation led by Jukka, who brings extensive knowledge of plant-based food value chains and is a well-connected and active advocate for food system transformation,” he says. In its first year, Plant Based Foods Finland has amassed 27 members, including all major retail chains in the country and participants from the restaurant sector, research institutions, and cellular agriculture. Kajan describes the number of …

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Heather Mills in blue suit

© Heather Mills

Heather Mills Acquires Alternative Stores to Create a Central Hub of ‘Hero’ Plant-Based Products in the UK

Heather Mills, owner and founder of VBites who was recently recognised as ‘Vegan Woman of the Year‘ at the 2024 Vegan Women’s Summit in Los Angeles, announces the acquisition of the award-winning online plant-based store Alternative Stores. This latest addition to Mills’ vegan portfolio aims to offer support to hundreds of family businesses and assist with the launch of their own brands, and follows last year’s acquisition of the Plant & Bean manufacturing facility in Boston, UK, which was facing administration. Alternative Stores lists a wide variety of notable plant-based brands including UK egg alternative producer Sinless Food; Naturli butter; LoveRaw confectionery; Violife cheese; Mummy Meegz chocolate and treats; and of course, VBites, in addition to other categories such as footwear, household, pet food, and …

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KoRo founders with Toni Petersson

LTR: KoRo founder Constantinos Calios, CEO Florian Schwenkert, Advisory Board member Toni Petersson and CFO Dr Daniel Kundt © KoRo Handels GmbH

Ex Oatly CEO Toni Petersson Joins KoRo Advisory Board to Lead Europe’s Better-for-You Snack Category

Toni Petersson, former CEO and current co-chairman of the Board of Directors of Oatly, is set to join the Advisory Board of Berlin-based better-for-you food brand KoRo, an online store offering non-perishable goods and superfoods in bulk, to lead the brand into its next phase of growth. Headed by CEO Florian Schwenkert and known for clean-label snacks, nut butters and breakfast products as well as functional foods, KoRo has enjoyed significant growth since its foundation in 2014. Despite a downward sales trend in German e-commerce, KoRo has recorded high growth rates and has been frequently ranked by the FT as one of the 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe (148.9 % CAGR 2019 – 2022). KoRo says it has 1.7 million customers across Europe and around …

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