Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. plant-based health and wellness products, announced it has named Laura Pitlik its chief marketing officer, as the company expands its consumer goods platforms following several key acquisitions.
A veteran consumer packaged goods strategist, Pitlik will spearhead brand development and omnichannel marketing activities for Arcadia’s portfolio of consumer nutrition, health and wellness brands, including GoodWheat, Soul Spring, ProVault, Saavy Naturals and Zola coconut water. She will also lead the company’s go-to-market strategies for the e-commerce, retail and food service channels.
“Having significantly expanded our portfolio of plant-based, better-for-you food and wellness products, Arcadia is now exceptionally well-positioned to accelerate our transition to a dynamic consumer products company in on-trend categories with significant growth potential,” said Matt Plavan, Arcadia CEO. “Laura is the right marketing leader at just the right time. With a proven track record of building numerous popular food and beverage brands in fast-paced, competitively demanding environments, she is well-equipped to guide our go-to-market strategies and establish the GoodWheat and Lief Brands portfolios of products as international household name brands, raising the bar on global health.”
“Arcadia is at an exciting inflection point, with a tremendous opportunity to leverage its origins in scientific discovery to now lead the way through seed-to-table innovation in foods that have superior taste and greater intrinsic nutrition with GoodWheat. Additionally, Arcadia’s innovative Lief Brands portfolio directly addresses consumers’ evolving and increasingly sophisticated wellness needs with unique, quality products,” said Pitlik. “I am thrilled to be joining this outstanding, forward-looking team as the company embarks on a transformational phase of growth.”
An accomplished marketing executive, Pitlik’s experience developing new products and brands began early in her career when she led the launch of Dr Pepper Cherry and continued when she launched the first national line of all-natural breads, Nature’s Pride, for Hostess Brands. Since then, she has continued to build deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods industry, leading brands including Wonder Bread and On The Border tortilla chips and salsas.
With roots in breakthrough agricultural biotechnology, Arcadia has invested more than $250 million to develop a patented trait portfolio that has successfully increased the productivity and nutrition of key global crops and is now primed for commercialization. Since the introduction in 2018 of its GoodWheat portfolio of specialty wheat ingredients with intrinsically strong nutritional profiles, Arcadia has been transitioning its focus to leveraging its technologies to innovate new plant-based food and wellness products.
