Impossible Foods has appointed two industry veterans to lead its science and supply operations, and CEO Peter McGuinness said the two will play key roles in the company’s future development.
Sunil Chandran will become Impossible’s new chief science officer, and Rob Haas will take over. Chief Supply Officer.
In an interview, McGuinness said the new hires will help Impossible Foods move forward into what he calls a “technology-enabled food company.”
“We will innovate like a tech company, but we will operate like a food company,” McGuinness said.
Chandran will lead Impossible Foods’ research and development division, which McGuinness said is a large gathering of scientists and food developers. He hails from Amyris, a biotechnology company specializing in consumer branded products and food ingredients.
Mr. Chandran has been with the biotechnology company for 17 years, most recently as Chief Scientific Officer and R&D Officer. he has a Ph.D. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry and his LinkedIn profile touts his experience in developing technology and mentoring people. much of his time Amyris was devoted to Bring new fermentation-derived ingredients to the market.
McGuinness said Impossible Foods strives to improve all of its products by enhancing its own offerings. When it comes to taste, texture, flavor and nutrition, it’s important to have seasoned scientific experts leading the department. Chandran is also a “proven talent developer” who wants to do good and change the world for the better, which he said fits into Impossible’s larger mission.
As for Impossible’s supply chain, McGuinness said it has many moving parts and is comprehensive. The company currently has his three manufacturing plants in Oakland, CA. Chicago and Los Angeles — We source a variety of ingredients from all over the United States.own product is shipped To thousands of retail and food service customers nationwide.
When McGuinness took over as CEO of Impossible in April 2022, he said the plant-based meat company’s supply chain was “a bit siloed and fragmented.”Integration across the supply chain He said working under one leader is a priority.
Haas has experience in manufacturing and operating supply chains. He worked for AB InBev and its companies. Affiliate for over 20 years. he was helpful As a global vice president of a major beverage company He is Chief of Materials Management, Senior Global Director of Engineering and Capital Expenditures, and CEO and President of Metal Container Corporation, a packaging subsidiary.
Since October 2020, he has been Chief Supply Officer of EverGrain Elements, a startup founded by AB InBev to upcycle brewer spent grains into feedstock.
McGuinness said Haas “is also a kind of master in the world of fermentation,” and that the technology is related to Impossible Foods, which uses the technology. In order to make the plant-based heme component required for the product It tastes more like meat.
The appointment of Haas as Impossible Foods’ Supply Chain Director is the final part of the new structure McGuinness has put in place to oversee the company’s supply and demand functions.
McGuinness was hired in January Impossible’s first Chief Demand Officer, Shereen Juggler. She leads the company’s “demand chain” – functions such as marketing, sales, insight and product development.
“It’s a simple structure: the supply chain and the demand chain,” McGuinness said. “And we are contributing to that.”
