Daiya, a dairy-alternative food ingredients and value-added products maker based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has named Melanie Domer as its chief marketing officer and Erin Legge as chief financial officer. Domer will head the consumer marketing and Innovation effort, while Legge will oversee the finance and IT teams of the company that boasts the largest plant-based cheese manufacturing facility in North America.
“As the plant-based category continues to evolve, it is imperative to have strategic, results-oriented leaders who are passionate about the positive impact of the plant-based movement,” said CEO Michael Watt. “With the addition of these two incredible leaders, I am confident Daiya is poised to tackle the next phase of growth as we pioneer breakthroughs.”
A seasoned veteran with more than two decades of experience in consumer marketing, innovation and sales, Domer’s resume includes leadership positions at leading consumer packaged goods companies including S.C. Johnson, Mars Wrigley and General Mills.
Legge brings over 20 years of experience to her new role. Previously, she served as the vice president in charge of strategic projects and integration at Daiya, initially joining the company in 2021. Prior to that she spent 17 years with George Weston Limited and Weston Foods, holding various roles of increasing levels of responsibility within their finance and operations departments.
Both Domer and Legge will report to Watt and round out the company’s senior leadership team, which includes Shawn McLaughlin, following his recent appointment as senior vice president of sales in September.
The company, which supplies both retail and foodservice sectors, offers a growing line of premium, plant-based products including frozen pizza, flatbread, burritos and cheezecake. Refrigerated cheeze slices and shreds are also featured, along with spreads and sauces. Additionally, Cheezy Mac and salad dressings are found in the shelf-stable sections of more than 25,000 grocery stores across the USA and Canada. Distribution beyond North America extends to Asia, Europe and Latin America.
