- CEO of lifestyle retailer Athleta becomes Impossible Foods’ newest board member
- Laughton brings more than 20 years of consumer-focused retail and digital leadership to Impossible Foods’ board, including experience at Sephora and Nike
- Impossible Foods has expanded its retail footprint 60x since March and launched its newest product, Impossible™ Sausage Made from Plants, now available at more than 22,000 locations nationwide
Impossible Foods Inc. has announced that Mary Beth Laughton has joined the food tech startup’s board of directors.
The retail industry veteran has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, innovation and sustainability for consumer brands and has served as a senior executive at multiple multinational companies. She is currently the President and CEO of Athleta, a premium fitness and lifestyle brand that creates versatile performance apparel to inspire active and confident women and girls. Athleta, a certified B Corporation, was acquired by Gap Inc. in 2008.
Previously, Laughton was Executive Vice President of Omni Retail for Sephora US. Before that, she spent nine years at Nike, where she held a variety of strategy, merchandising and e-commerce roles. Laughton also served as a board member of REI.
“Few companies are pursuing as bold and ambitious of a vision as Impossible Foods,” said Laughton. “Like Athleta, the team at Impossible Foods is passionate about both innovation as well as creating a sustainable future. I’m thrilled to be part of an organization dedicated to combining profit and planet, and I look forward to helping them extend their impact even further.”
In addition to Laughton, Impossible Foods’ board members include:
- Pat Brown, Impossible Foods’ CEO, Founder and Chairman of the Board
- Fedele Bauccio, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Bon Appétit Management Company
- Samir Kaul, founding general partner at Khosla Ventures
- John Marren, Senior Managing Director, North America, of Singapore-based global investment company Temasek
- Tal Ronnen, founder and chef of Los Angeles-based Crossroads Kitchen and author of the New York Times bestseller The Conscious Cook
- Bart Swanson, advisor at Horizons Ventures, the Hong Kong-based private investment fund of Mr. Li Ka-Shing
- Vanessa Wittman, Chief Financial Officer, Glossier
“Mary Beth is a world-class corporate leader,” said Impossible Foods’ CEO and Founder Dr. Patrick O. Brown. “We are excited about the strategic guidance she will bring as we navigate this period of hypergrowth and unprecedented retail expansion. In particular, we are eager to tap into her experience and insights in retail, marketing and e-commerce which will help us build awareness, trial and the Impossible Food brand.”
