Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, who has over 35 years’ experience in the agriculture, food manufacturing, food service, and meat production industries, has been appointed as CEO of cultivated meat company Future Meat Technologies.
Previously, Johnson-Hoffman served as Managing Director, Further Processed Foods for OSI Europe. She also spent 19 years at Cargill, practicing law as in-house counsel and serving in various leadership roles. She will now take on day-to-day leadership of Future Meat and join the company’s Board of Directors.
“We are extremely excited to have Nicole join Future Meat,” said Professor Yaakov Nahmias, founder and president of Future Meat Technologies. “Her vision and experience building and operating large scale food manufacturing facilities and working with global players across the ecosystem, are invaluable for a cultivated meat startup company that aspires for global transformation.”
“World’s first” cultivated meat production line
In June of last year, Future Meat opened what it claimed was the world’s first industrial cell-cultured meat facility in Israel. The company is now looking to open another facility in the US, following a huge $320 million funding round. Having reduced production costs by a thousand times, commercialisation could soon be a reality for Future Meat — if the company can gain regulatory approval.
“It’s an honor to serve as the CEO of Future Meat Technologies,” said Johnson-Hoffman. “Not only has the company made meaningful progress in developing the technology to achieve widespread adoption, but it is driven by a desire to support the entire meat industry’s shift to more sustainable practices – a cause I have championed throughout my career. I’m pleased to join the company at this pivotal moment as we prepare to commence cultivated meat production in the U.S.”
