Announcing New Leadership Structure for PBFI and PBFA

The Plant Based Foods Institute and our sister organization, the Plant Based Foods Association, remain firmly committed to our missions to create a healthy, sustainable food system driven by a thriving plant-based food industry. We are writing to share with you a leadership change taking place at our organizations. After nearly five years of dedicated leadership, our CEO, Rachel Dreskin, will be departing. 

During her tenure, Rachel has worked tirelessly to advance our joint missions by championing the interests of the plant-based sector in retail, public, and governmental arenas, while strengthening our capacity to work collaboratively with a wide range of partners. In close partnership with our boards of directors, she helped shape much of the structure of both organizations and has been a powerful and inspirational voice of change for food systems domestically and abroad. We are so grateful for her contributions and dedication, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

From Rachel: "It has been an honor working with and serving PBFI and PBFA’s mission for the past five years. During this time, we have substantially built up our programming, positioning, and partner network in a way that not only enables us to defend the industry's interests, but also collectively drive food systems change, not least of all through the launch of the Plant Based Foods Institute. I am grateful to our members, boards, team members, and many partners who have passionately aligned with and mobilized toward this vision. Our community has never been stronger and, together, I have no doubt that we will realize our collective potential to drive food systems change and contribute to a better world for all of us."

With Rachel's departure, our organizations will remain in good hands. At PBFI, Sanah Baig will continue at the helm as Executive Director, leading organizational strategy and programs that support the plant-based foods ecosystem across the entire value chain. At PBFA, Marjorie Mulhall, current Senior Director of Policy, will step in as interim Executive Director. Over the past two years, Marjorie has spearheaded PBFA’s essential policy portfolio and brings deep expertise to this role, having previously served as Executive Director of Earthjustice Action. 

“Since joining PBFI five months ago, I’ve been energized by the diversity of food system partners excited to join forces with us to ensure plants can take center plate,” said Sanah. “We’re building a bigger table to bring farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and innovators together in service of stronger agricultural communities and more delicious, nutritious options for American families. At this moment of transition, PBFI is well-positioned to complement PBFA’s work to lead food systems change through the growth of plant based foods."

”I'm honored to step into this role at a critical time for our industry," said Marjorie. "More than ever, PBFA's members are navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with evolving  policy and marketplace landscapes. Our continued focus will be on ensuring we're delivering the advocacy, support, and strategic leadership needed for our industry’s success."

Both Sanah and Marjorie have demonstrated exceptional leadership, deep knowledge of our mission, and strong relationships across our member companies and the broader industry. We are confident that both organizations will continue to rise to meet the current challenges under their leadership.

The Boards of both PBFI and PBFA remain dedicated to serving the mission of these two important organizations and look forward to continuing our work.

Best regards,

PBFI Board of Directors