MISSISSAUGA, ON – Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. (“Maple Leaf” or the “Company”) (TSX: MFI) today named Casey Richards Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Innovation.
Richards will assume overall marketing leadership for Maple Leaf’s family of brands and will lead the company’s innovation efforts, while continuing to oversee the pastry business. He will also join the Maple Leaf Foods Senior Leadership Team.
Richards most recently served as the Company’s Vice-President and General Manager – Pastry, a role he assumed in 2017 following two decades of marketing and general management experience with leading U.S. food companies. Richards is a highly accomplished brand marketer with a strong commercial acumen and a demonstrated track record of success in strategy, brand building, innovation and general management.
“Since joining Maple Leaf Foods, Casey has shown remarkable leadership agility within our business,” said Curtis Frank, Chief Operating Officer, Maple Leaf Foods. “His deep and broad experience in general management and consumer packaged goods marketing will be a valuable asset in supporting the execution of our strategic blueprint. Casey will also play a critical role in helping Maple Leaf Foods realize our ambition of becoming the most sustainable protein company on earth.”
Prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, Richards led ConAgra Foods Marie Callender’s brand to become ConAgra’s largest business with over $1B in retail sales. He has also held key management roles working on iconic brands at General Mills and Nestle, including Cheerios, Totino’s, and Green Giant.
Richards is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing. In addition, he holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he graduated at the top of his class.
About Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods is a producer of food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Schneiders® Country Naturals®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®, Lightlife™, Field Roast Grain Meat Co.™ and Swift®. Maple Leaf employs approximately 12,500 people and does business in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).
