Kincannon & Reed Managing Directors Paul Izenstark and Carolyn Schubert extend their congratulations to Califia Farms’ new Chief Science and Innovation Officer Joana Montenegro.
Montenegro joined the plant-based foods company earlier this year where she is responsible for guiding new product development and the management of products in various stages of development, from concept to commercialization.
In her role, Montenegro will lead and collaborate on the development and execution strategies surrounding the successful launch of new products, both domestic and global. In addition, she will drive alignment on resource requirements and project prioritization while building an innovative, high-performing team.
“Joana’s strengths include her ability to cultivate an environment conducive to creative thinking and collaboration, both integral components of product development,” Izenstark said. “She has a proven track record of building teams that are as analytical and technically-minded as they are visionary and inventive.”
Prior to joining Califia Farms, Montenegro held R&D roles with Land O’Lakes and General Mills. Her time at Land O’Lakes provided her with the opportunity to develop strategic plans and road mapping for the company’s dairy food business.
“Not only does Joana bring a tremendous amount of R&D knowledge with her,” Schubert said, “she feels very passionately about Califia’s mission to bring healthy, plant-based products to market. She has demonstrated success with strategic road mapping in highly competitive markets in her prior roles and will provide a unique insight to their product development in the future.”
Califia Farms, founded in 2010, has been long considered a pioneer in the plant-based foods industry. The organization is one of the fastest-growing natural beverage companies in the world, cultivating a culture of product excellence and rapid innovation to produce nutrient-rich plant-based food and beverages that don’t sacrifice taste.
