Fermentation specialist Change Foods today announces a strategic hire of Irina Gerry, formerly of Danone, to bring to market its dairy products made without the cow, created with cutting edge biotechnology which formulates animal-free products that are indistinguishable from the real thing.
On her first day with Change Foods, Gerry is a keynote speaker at the Alt-Dairy Conference which takes place today, giving the keynote titled The Dawn of the Food Revolution.
Led by David Bucca, Australian plantbased entrepreneur of Hungry Planet and Food Frontier – an independent think tank focused on alternative proteins; the company recently closed its second funding round of $875k, backed by high profile investors from Google, as well as Twitter’s Maya Hari, Michal Klar, Simon Newstead, Tom Crago, Vikas Garg, and others. The company has plans to raise an addional $5M in Q2 of 2021.
But what happens once animal-free cheese hits the market? Will consumers understand and accept it? What is the proposition of the product and the brand behind it? These are critical questions to enable product success in market, hence the hiring of a plant-based industry veteran to its executive team. As fresh CMO, Irina Gerry, brings along her experience in plant-based foods and beverages.
Irina was a force behind major brand initiatives on Silk, a leading plant-based brand, including product innovation, packaging design, and multiple marketing campaigns. She championed Silk’s entrance into new segments, such as nutrition-forward beverages and ready-to-drink coffee. Recently, Irina led two major new platform launches for both Silk and So Delicious brands, hitting shelves in January. Irina holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
“Irina is a true consumer expert who understands how to get to the core insight and deliver products loved by millions. Her impressive skills are matched only by her deep passion for sustainability,” said Founder and CEO, David Bucca. “Irina shares our purpose to create a sustainable, thriving, and kind food system. We could not have found a better executive team member to shape our brand vision to drive this change.”
“I was drawn to the Change Foods team, based on our shared mission to change the world,” said Irina Gerry. “David and I are both parents and as we looked at the climate crisis threatening our children’s future, we just could not sit idly. This is our fight, and it is an urgent one. Removing industrially farmed animals from the global food supply is a key part of the climate solution and we have the right tech, skills and team to do just that.”
