TORONTO, March 30, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeremy Kendall, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SunOpta Inc. ("SunOpta" or "the Company") (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY), a leading global company focused on natural, organic and specialty foods, today announced the appointment of Mr. Alan Murray as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Murray has over 30 years of experience as a supplier to the food industry in three continents. Mr. Murray spent 10 years with Unilever, primarily in marketing roles both in the Netherlands and South Africa. From 1990 to 2010, he worked for Tetra Pak, a world leader in processing and packaging systems serving the food industry. During this period, he led their operations in Southern Africa, Central Europe (Czech Republic and Slovakia) and North America. He is currently the CEO of NextFoods, creators of the GoodBelly probiotic fruit drink, based in Boulder, Colorado.
Jeremy Kendall, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented, "I am extremely pleased to have Alan assume this role as we continue to evolve our governance practices and related structure. Mr. Murray's strong background in our industry, complemented by broad international business experience is a key asset to our organization as we focus on our core natural and organic food business, including global expansion. In his new capacity with SunOpta, Mr. Murray will work closely with me on all Board matters, plus Chair the Independent Directors' meetings."
About SunOpta Inc.
SunOpta Inc. is a leading global company focused on natural, organic and specialty foods. The Company specializes in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and organic food products, integrated from seed through packaged products; with a focus on strategically significant vertically integrated business models. The Company's core natural and organic food operations focus on value-added grains, fiber and fruit based product offerings, supported by a global infrastructure. The Company has two non-core holdings, a 66.4% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc. (TSX:OPM), a producer, distributor, and recycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials, and a minority ownership position in Mascoma Corporation, an innovative biofuels company.
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CONTACT: SunOpta Inc.
Steve Bromley, President & CEO
Eric Davis, Vice President & CFO
Tony Tavares, Chief Operating Officer
Susan Wiekenkamp, Information Officer
Tel: 905-455-2528, ext 103
susan.wiekenkamp@sunopta.com
Website: www.sunopta.com