LIVEKINDLY Collective [LKC], a collection of plant-based food brands and factories selling innovative products around the globe, appoints David Gwilliam as CFO effective 1 November. The two new hire join the Collective’s leadership team under David Suarez, recently appointed as the company’s CEO.
“We have experienced extreme market volatility for plant-based companies, with many of our industry peers struggling or even going out of business. Despite the market’s decline, I’m proud that with LIVEKINDLY Collective, we are stronger than ever. While this year the focus has been on improving our profitability, reshaping the company to make it fit for the future, we look forward to next year, which will be all about targeted growth,” says Suarez. “With strong operations and presence worldwide and three strategically positioned factories in Europe and Africa with know-how and capacity to serve our brands and B2B customers, we are ready to bring the category mainstream. With David on board, I am convinced we can reach that objective.”
Gwilliam is an accomplished finance leader with extensive experience in international organizations. He has 20 years’ experience in finance roles across international companies, including PepsiCo and AstraZeneca, and most recently was CFO and Divisional Finance Director at IMI Hydronic in Switzerland. He comments: “I am thrilled to join LIVEKINDLY Collective at this pivotal time, as we focus on driving profitable and sustainable growth to maximise our positive impact globally. I look forward to working alongside this talented team to strengthen our financial foundation and support our mission to make plant-based living accessible and mainstream.”
The company continues to grow in its key markets in Europe, as well as Africa and Australia.