Business
Rise Baking Company Appoints Mark McNeil as Chief Executive Officer
Rise Baking Company ("Rise"), a leading North American provider of high‑quality bakery products, today announced that Mark McNeil has been appointed CEO. McNeil succeeds Brian Zellmer, who has led the company over the past five years of transformational growth.
About this update from Loblaw Companies Limited
[{"type":"text","content":"MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rise Baking Company ("Rise"), a leading North American provider of high‑quality bakery products, today announced that Mark McNeil has been appointed CEO. McNeil succeeds Brian Zellmer, who has led the company over the past five years of transformational growth.","length":314,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"McNeil is a seasoned food and beverage executive with more than 30 years of cross-functional leadership experience across retail, foodservice, and manufacturing. He has held multiple CEO roles leading private‑label and branded food companies. His background includes senior executive roles at Shearer's Foods, Bonduelle Americas, Lassonde Pappas, US Foods, Weston Foods, and Loblaw Companies Limited.","length":404,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Most recently, McNeil served as CEO of Shearer's Foods, the largest private‑label and contract manufacturer of salty snacks, cookies, and crackers in North America. There, he led a multi‑year value‑creation plan delivering significant revenue and EBITDA expansion while building an autonomous leadership team and deepening customer partnerships. He is recognized for balancing long‑term strategic vision with rigorous operational execution.","length":444,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""We believe Mark is exactly the kind of leader who can help accelerate Rise's next chapter," said Nathan Eldridge, Managing Director at Platinum Equity. "His experience scaling large, complex food businesses, combined with his focus on people, operational excellence, and customer partnerships, aligns perfectly with our ambition to expand Rise both organically and through strategic M&A. We are thrilled to welcome him."","length":449,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Vishal Patel, Partner at Butterfly Equity, added: "Rise has established a powerful foundation built on product excellence, operational sophistication, and deep customer trust. Mark's track record in driving growth and strengthening organizational capability makes him an exceptional choice to lead the company forward. We look forward to partnering closely with him as Rise continues to scale and innovate."","length":421,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"McNeil joins Rise at a pivotal moment. In 2024, Platinum E...