TORONTO – Adam Grogan has been promoted to president of Greenleaf Foods, the plant-based foods subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Grogan replaces Dan Curtin, who is retiring at the end of January.

Grogan has been with Maple Leaf Foods for more than 20 years, most recently as chief operating officer of Greenleaf Foods. He also has held leadership positions in marketing and research and development with the company.

“Leadership transitions are incredibly important and, done well, they take time,” said Michael H. McCain, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods. “Over the last two years, Dan and Adam have been a powerful combination, working together, learning from each other, building a strong team at Greenleaf, and creating excitement around our leading Lightlife and Field Roast brands. Dan is a strong leader who has been instrumental in building our Greenleaf business, and we are deeply grateful for his contributions.”

Grogan will take over at a time when meat alternative sales in North America have slowed. In November 2021, McCain announced Greenleaf Foods was going back to “square one” to better understand why consumer demand for plant-based protein alternatives has stalled. The announcement followed disappointing third-quarter results that saw Maple Leaf’s Plant Protein Group sales fall to C$48 million ($38.5 million) from C$51.4 million during the same period of the year before.

“The outcome of our work will either be to inform our direction or affirm our direction and our commitments or alter them based on a new set of facts and a new diagnostic,” he said during a Nov. 4 conference call to discuss quarterly results. “In either case, we have the foundation to both win and create long-term value that we seek.”