Footprint, a plant-based fiber technology company specializing in materials science engineering, announced that Board Director Don Thompson will succeed Kevin Easler as Chairman of the Board. Easler will remain a member of Footprint’s Board of Directors.
Thompson is the Founder and CEO of Cleveland Avenue, a venture capital firm that invests in food and beverage brands, and technologies that positively disrupt large and growing markets. Thompson also serves on the boards of Royal Caribbean and The Northern Trust Company, and is a former director of McDonald’s Corporation, Exelon Corporation and Beyond Meat. He also served on the advisory board of DocuSign.
“I’m very pleased that Don Thompson, a deep operational business leader with vast industry experience, will step into the Board Chair role as we scale toward our next phase of growth. Don has been a great partner to me and our entire Footprint team,” Footprint CEO Troy Swope said.
“Cleveland Avenue invested in Footprint due to its tremendous potential to deliver innovative plant-based fiber technology solutions,” Don Thompson said. “Troy and the entire team are focused on eliminating single-use plastics for consumers and companies that are committed to advancing environmental sustainability. I look forward to continuing to work with the team at this exciting stage.”
About the changes, Swope added, “I am sincerely grateful to Kevin Easler for his leadership. From the very beginning, he was one of the original luminaries who believed in Footprint’s vision to replace plastic packaging in the consumer marketplace. Kevin has been a tremendous leader during our early growth and he will continue to add great value as a Board Director moving forward.”
“From day one Footprint has been dedicated to inventing and manufacturing breakthrough new materials to replace single-use plastics. While there’s much more to do, it is exciting to see those dreams become a reality on store shelves today. As the company continues to evolve from an entrepreneurial start-up into a global, disruptive technology company, now is an opportune time for board leadership to evolve as well,” Kevin Easler said.
“While I will continue to serve as a Board member, Don’s leadership and experience are unquestionably world-class. I am confident that with Don leading the board, and the continued vision and leadership of Troy and Yoke, the company is in great hands.”
