Dive Brief:
- WhiteWave Foods has created a new COO position for the company and will appoint Blaine McPeak to the role. McPeak, who has served leadership roles at WhiteWave for nearly a decade, is currently president of Americas Foods & Beverages business, which accounted for close to 70% of the company's sales as of Sept. 30.
- Kevin Yost, president of Americas Fresh Foods, will be promoted to U.S. Group president of Americas Foods & Beverages, which includes WhiteWave’s U.S. businesses and brands like Silk, So Delicious, Horizon, Wallaby Organic, Earthbound Farm, and International Delight.
- WhiteWave CFO Kelly Haecker will also be stepping down from his position to spend more personal time with family and will be replaced by Greg Christenson, who will also be promoted to executive vice president, as of April 1, 2016. Christenson has served as senior vice president and CFO of Americas Foods & Beverages since June 2013.
Dive Insight:
Included in the Americas Foods & Beverages category are the companies' newest acquisitions, including So Delicious, Earthbound Farm, and Wallaby Organic. This new management will be tasked with overseeing the growth of these acquisitions and WhiteWave's other established brands, particularly as the company expands its footprint in plant-based foods.
Plant-based foods are challenging the status quo for the food industry, especially as segments like dairy alternatives, including soy and nut-based milks and other dairy products, start to take off.
Last week, WhiteWave reported a 17% jump in revenue to $1 billion, attributed in part to acquisitions.