Beyond Meat Inc will bring in Coca-Cola Co veteran Stuart Kronauge as its chief marketing officer, the vegan patty maker said on Thursday, as it looks to boost its presence in retail and restaurants.
Beyond Meat last month named former Tesla Inc executive Sanjay Shah as its chief operating officer.
Kronauge, who has been with Atlanta-based Coca-Cola for over 20 years, headed the company’s sparkling business unit in North America.
She is credited for the resurgence of soda brands such as Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. The beverage maker has been able to grow sales with the launch of smaller-sized cans of its sodas, in tune to a change in consumer tastes.
Beyond Meat is expanding sale of its plant-based meat burgers in retail stores and partnering with more restaurants as it builds on the recent hype for vegan patties that taste, cook and look like real meat.
I honestly am never quite sure how to interpret news like this. I think it’s a good thing that someone with experience for a global brand is being brought in, but Coca-Cola is (I hope) a very different kind of company than Beyond Meat. Whereas Coca-Cola sold sugar drinks, I think Beyond wants to be thought of as doing something better for the landscape of food.
Full disclosure: I love Coke. Roy Rogers are one of my favorite small pleasures.