Miyoko’s Creamery appoints former Coca-Cola executive as next CEO

Dive Brief:

• Plant-based dairy maker Miyoko’s Creamery appointed Stuart Kronauge as its next CEO.
• Prior to taking the helm of Miyoko, Kronauge was the CEO of The Juice Plus+, the nutrition company selling fruit and vegetable nutrients in chewable capsule form. Before that, Kronauge spent just over a year at Beyond Meat as their chief marketing officer, and 12 years at the Coca Cola company, under a variety of leadership positions.
• The appointment comes after the company settled a legal battle earlier this year between Miyoko’s Creamery’s former CEO and founder, Miyoko Schinner.

Dive Insight:

Kronauge has over two decades of marketing experience in the CPG space at Coca-Cola, as well as retail marketing experience at Beyond Meat, another plant-based company. She has also been a customer of Miyoko’s Creamery for years, as well as a plant-based eater herself, giving her a unique perspective on the plant-based consumer, according to the release.

“Her passion for the industry and operational skillset, coupled with her mission-based approach, allows for great momentum and brand growth in a category that continues to celebrate innovation and new disruptors,” said James Joaquin, Miyoko’s Creamery board member, on the appointment. 

Outsed former CEO Schinner started the company in 2014, before being removed from her position by the company’s board. A contentious legal battle ensued surrounding the company’s proprietary recipes and plant-based culture configurations after she was voted out. Schinner then filed a counterclaim accussing the company of gender discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and misusing her name and likeness. 

Finally, in late May of this year, both parties took to their LinkedIn pages announcing that they had settled all legal disputes and withdrawn all claims.

Now, ushering in a new female CEO, the company is “thrilled to welcome Stuart to the Miyoko’s team and are confident in her abilities to lead the brand through its next exciting chapter,” said Joaquin.