Daiya Appoints Hajime Fujita as New CEO to Lead Continued Global Expansion - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine (2024)

British Colombia-based vegan cheese leader Daiya Foods, which has a wide retail footprint globally, this week announces the appointment of Hajime Fujita to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

In his new role, Mr Fujita, a former director at Daiya, will lead all global operations throughout North America and the brand’s continued international expansion. He previously served as Vice President, Business Planning, at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, the Japanese pharmaceutical and nutraceutical company that acquired Daiya in 2017 for CAD$405 million / USD$326 million, with Mr Fujita playing a key role in the acquisition before joining the Daiya team.

Since joining Daiya, Mr Fujita held the role of Director, Financial Planning and Analysis then took a seat on Daiya’s board as part of a Vice President role at Otsuka America. During his tenure so far he has played a lead role in the establishment of the company’s facility in Burnaby, British Columbia, which received LEED certification earlier this year.

Global moves

Daiya is currently available in more than 25,000 grocery stores in the US and Canada, as well as internationally in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Notable developments from recent months include the announcement of a multi-million dollar investment in a new natural fermentation technology. Daiya claims this technology will be the launchpad for the next generation of plant-based cheese.

Mr. Fujita comments on his promotion, “There is enormous potential in the Daiya brand to push the highly competitive plant-based category to new heights, particularly through product innovation and bold marketing. I’m thrilled to be rejoining Daiya at such a dynamic period in the wider cultural conversation around plant-based eating and I look forward to working with our fantastic team in writing the next chapter of our amazing brand story.”

Concurrently, the Daiya Board of Directors announces further staff changes as follows. Chief Marketing Officer, Melanie Domer will step into a new role as Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing marketing and sales while John Kelly, VP, Consumer Marketing, becomes Chief Marketing Officer.

“By bringing sales and marketing together, Daiya will be even better positioned to reach and engage with consumers all along the shopper journey, bringing more people to plant-based eating, and driving growth of our categories,” says Ms Domer.

Mr Kelly adds, “I’m honored to lead Daiya’s marketing efforts as we focus on accelerating category growth and maximizing the potential of the Daiya brand as the undisputed leader in plant-based foods across North America.”

For more information visit: www.daiyafoods.com.