Ingredion names Dr Michael Leonard Senior VP, Chief Innovation Officer, and Head of Protein Fortification

Ingredion Incorporated has appointed Dr Michael Leonard senior vice president, chief innovation officer and head of protein fortification, effective May 13, 2024. Leonard will serve as a member of the company’s executive leadership team and will report to Jim Zallie, president and chief executive officer.

Over his 21-year career, Leonard has led product development and commercialisation across multiple food and beverage categories in domestic and global markets, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region where he lived and worked. He has a proven track record of driving growth and productivity through his leadership of global R&D functions, process technology and business development.

“With his vast experience in the food and beverage industry, deep technical knowledge and proven record of new product and process innovation, I am thrilled Mike is joining Ingredion to further strengthen our diversified portfolio of ingredients and solutions and drive continued advancements in innovation,” said Zallie. “Mike’s broad industry leadership experience in both developed and emerging markets, with multinationals as well as high-growth startup companies, will be a tremendous asset to Ingredion and our customers.”

Leonard joins Ingredion from MycoTechnology, where he serves as the chief executive officer, leading the food technology startup company’s transformation and global expansion of new protein and bioactive technology platforms for the specialty food ingredient industry. Before MycoTechnology, Leonard served as the chief executive officer and the chief technology officer of Motif FoodWorks, where he spearheaded new product discovery, development and commercialization across the startup’s plant-based food ingredient portfolio. Prior to Motif, Leonard served in progressive leadership roles in R&D, engineering and business development at Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, DuPont Nutrition and Health, and International Flavors & Fragrances.

“I’m honoured to be joining the team at Ingredion at such an exciting time in our industry, where an agile, entrepreneurial approach to innovation is critical for driving growth. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served MycoTechnology, a true disruptor in the value-added food ingredient space, and look forward to bringing my experience in both startup and multinational companies to accelerate innovation at Ingredion,” said Leonard.

Leonard holds a BS in Chemistry from Roanoke College, a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.