Boulder, Colorado-based Meati, an animal-free meat company, has named Scott Tassani as its president, effective Dec. 6. The addition of Tassani to Meati’s leadership team comes as the company prepares to launch in early 2022 with a new source of nutrient-dense, universal protein made from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms.
Tassani previously served for nearly 30 years at The Pillsbury Co. and General Mills, where in his last five years he was the president and chief customer officer for the brand’s $11 billion North America business. During his tenure with General Mills, he delivered winning strategies and premier commercial execution for consumer brands including Cheerios, Annie’s, Yoplait and Nature Valley.
“Our goal is to rapidly scale to drive accessibility across the U.S., with plans to achieve a category-leading $1 billion in sales by 2025,” said Tassani. “I am incredibly energized to join the Meati team as we launch the outstanding portfolio of animal-free meat products. Meati products are far superior to any alternative proteins available, making it possible to deliver a superior consumer experience while driving significant sustainability impact and partner with our customers to profitably lead industry growth.”
Tassani will help lead the company as it prepares to deliver a new, whole-food superfood to market in early 2022, and as the brand works to nourish millions while protecting and preserving the planet’s water, land and air. With plans to initially offer its products online direct-to-consumer, Meati’s goal is sweeping availability at the lowest barrier to entry: food retailers. To achieve this, Tassani and his team plan to begin rapidly expanding the availability and affordability of Meati to all.
“Scott brings an unparalleled track record of not only driving profitable growth but doing so by establishing premier commercial partnerships in a way that wins for the brand, the partner and consumers,” said Tyler Huggins, CEO and co-founder of Meati. “When creating a new and exciting category, the strategic partnerships that deliver on all fronts is critical, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Scott to the team and partner with him to bring lasting change to the broader protein category.
“I’m already blown away by the trust and relationships he brings, which will enable a new level of speed for Meati to be more widely available,” he said.
Tassani joins Meati’s existing team of executives, investors and advisors, including former CEO of Whole Foods Market, Walter Robb; co-founder and CEO of Once Upon a Farm, John Foraker; and former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario.
For more information on Meati, visit meati.com.
