Miyoko's Creamery picks former Coca-Cola executive as its next CEO

Stuart Kronauge, whose vast experience in consumer packaged goods includes Beyond Meat and The Coca-Cola Company, is the new chief executive office of Miyoko's Creamery, the company has announced.

With the plant-based industry facing headwinds, and Miyoko's recovering from its recent legal turmoil, she will have a lot on her plate as she steps into the CEO seat.

The plant-based segment has struggled recently due to higher costs compared to its conventional animal-based counterpart, as well as questions about the quality of its offerings when it comes to taste and texture. The macroeconomic environment has placed further pressure on the segment as consumers are being particularly cost-conscious when shopping.

“Stewarding the next era of the leading plant milk dairy brand is a serendipitous next step in my career and personal journey, as a plant-based eater myself,” Kronauge said in a released statement.

Kronauge has been a customer of Miyoko's Creamery for years, giving her a deeper understanding of the company's consumer base, according to the release. This should provide her with an immediate advantage as she takes over Miyoko's. She succeeds interim President Jon Blair, who served as chief financial officer from March 2022 until June.

"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.

Schinner started the company in 2014, but the company's board of directors removed her from that position in June 2022. The board announced in February that it had parted ways with the founder.

A contentious legal battle ensued until May of this year when both parties announced they had settled all legal disputes and withdrawn all claims.

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," Joaquin said.