Ontario-based Maple Leaf Foods—maker of plant-based meat brands LightLife and Field Roast—is announcing a company-wide refresh called the Blueprint, that will combine traditional meat and plant protein operations under one umbrella, following the Blueprint's five-point plan. Maple Leaf Foods employs about 13,500 people and primarily serves markets in Canada, the U.S., and Asia.
As part of the restructuring, Maple Leaf Foods is promoting Adam Grogan to COO. Grogan will be responsible for leading the company's prepared foods operation, which includes prepared meats, poultry, and plant protein, as well as its supply chain network across Canada and the United States. Grogan has been with Maple Leaf Foods for more than 25 years.
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Casey Richards is also being promoted into the newly-created role of president, Maple Leaf Foods USA. Richards will be responsible for leading the company’s growth in the U.S. market, including retail and foodservice. Richards has more than 20 years of global marketing and general management experience, including the last six years with Maple Leaf Foods.
Maple Leaf Foods
According to Maple Leaf Foods, the five-point Blueprint plan entails these initiatives:
- Lead the Way – By making better food, taking better care and nurturing a better planet
- Build Loved Brands – By growing consumer relevance, delivering impactful innovation and leveraging our unique capabilities
- Broaden our Impact – By extending our geographic reach, developing new channels and categories and diversifying our protein portfolio
- Operate with Excellence – By harnessing advanced technologies, applying data science and analytics and driving cost efficiency
- Develop Extraordinary Talent – By embedding our values-based culture, investing in future-ready leaders and inspiring enduring engagement
"As our business shifts from an intensive phase of investing in building and commissioning new plants to realizing the benefits of our world-class network, the time is appropriate to refine the strategies that underpin our Purpose and Vision through an evolved strategic Blueprint," says Maple Leaf Foods CEO, Curtis Frank. "The evolution of our Blueprint serves to bring clarity and focus to the entire company around how we will deliver on the core strategies that will propel Maple Leaf Foods forward."
