Remilk Adds 3 Board Members from Danone, PepsiCo, and Nestlé to Further Its ‘Transformative Vision’

Tel Aviv-based Remilk, leading producer of precision fermentation dairy, has announced the appointment of three food industry executives to its Board of Directors.

Alicia Enciso, Nestle USA’s ex-CMO, Floris Wesseling, the former President of Danone Europe, and Pedro Padierna, previous CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo Mexico have joined Remilk’s Board of Directors, the company announced today.

The appointees bring insights, network access, and industry wisdom to the transformative startup. Remilk is leading the global charge in crafting animal-free milk proteins via a unique fermentation process.

‘A global on-shelf reality’

“We are thankful for the incredible commitment Alicia, Floris, and Pedro are making to Remilk and gratified that decorated global leaders from across the food and beverage category are aligned with our mission,” CEO Aviv Wolff said in a statement.

“With guidance from this outstanding Board of Directors, Remilk’s transformative vision can become a global on-shelf reality at the scale and speed required to address a pressing need. It is a true privilege to work alongside the leaders who helped build some of the largest food and beverage companies in the world,” Wolff said.

Wolff and CTO Ori Cohavi founded Remilk in 2019 with a shared commitment to revolutionizing the dairy industry with the use of precision fermentation to produce milk proteins identical to dairy. The company, which has raised more than $130 million to date, says its innovative approach considerably trims the resource requirements compared to conventional dairy and significantly elevates production efficiency. In April, Remilk became the first precision fermentation dairy approved for sale in Israel.

“Remilk has undertaken a bold mission to replace animal agriculture as the primary source of protein for the dairy industry,” Tomer Harpaz, Executive Chairman of the Board of Remilk and founder of EL food technologies, said in a statement.

‘Aligned aspirations’

“In pursuit of ambitious aspirations and purpose, there comes a responsibility to anticipate challenges. The addition of Alicia, Floris, and Pedro to the Board of Directors provides Remilk valuable perspective and expertise with which to navigate the complex global food landscape. The aligned aspirations and shared strategic priorities of this remarkable Board further bolsters Remilk’s ability to become a driving force within the dairy industry,” Harpaz said.

Enciso brings several decades of brand-building and consumer insights to her role. Most recently, Enciso served as CMO for Nestlé USA. She’s currently on the Board of Association of National Advertisers, as well as its Alliance for Multicultural Marketing. Enciso also recently joined the Board of Directors at Bacardi, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company.

Wesseling brings more than 25 years of experience in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) industry on different continents. Most recently, he served on the Danone Executive Committee as President Europe.

Padierna spent more than 30-years at PepsiCo in senior roles across disciplines including R&D, marketing, government affairs and public policy. Padierna also worked extensively with government decision-makers and key public opinion leaders — something Remilk says will be instrumental in its growth. In his most recent roles, Padierna served as President of PepsiCo Mexico Foods and as Chairman.