Ex Coca-Cola Executive Joins Beyond Meat Team

Coca-Cola’s former Vice President of Sales, Charles (“Chuck”) Muth, has been named as the chief growth officer of plant-based company Beyond Meat. In his former position at Coca Cola, Muth led his team in the venturing and emerging brands unit to increase revenue by 2000 percent between 2014 and 2016. Muth now will head the growth of retail and foodservice distribution expansion efforts at Beyond Meat. “Chuck’s clear track record of driving substantial growth in brands big and small, established and challenger, is compelling,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said. “Our vision is to bring our plant-based meats to the center of America’s plate and beyond, and I have every confidence in Chuck’s ability to chart the path between that vision and consumers.” Competing plant-based company Impossible Foods recently bolstered its team with the addition of Chief Science Officer David Lipman—a widely cited scientist who previously worked in the meat industry. After receiving an undisclosed capital investment from meat company Tyson last year, Beyond Meat has been expanding its distribution rapidly through the retail chain Whole Foods Market, Ivy League university Yale, and fast-casual restaurant outlets Veggie Grill and, most recently, Oregon’s Next Level Burger.