MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Maple Leaf Foods has revealed that Geert Verellen has decided to step down as CFO in the new year. David Smales has been named his successor starting Jan. 29, 2024.
Smales comes to Maple Leaf Foods with a long track record as a public company CFO, including nearly 15 years as executive vice-president and CFO at Aecon Group Inc. Prior to Aecon, Smales was CFO at Catalyst Paper Corporation, and has decades of international and transactional experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Novar PLC. Smales is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
“As we planned for this transition, finding the right successor for Geert was a critical priority for us,” says Curtis Frank, president and CEO. “Geert has made a significant impact over the last four years, including playing an important role in leading us through one of the most ambitious capital-investment programs in our history. On behalf of the entire company, we thank Geert for his leadership and wish him all the best in the next phase of his career.”
“In our search for a new CFO, we actively sought someone with David’s breadth of experience, blending strong financial acumen with long-term strategic planning skills and a deep understanding of Canadian capital markets,” continues Frank. “We’re thrilled that David will be joining our senior leadership team and certain he will be a great addition to Maple Leaf Foods as we execute our strategic blueprint on the journey to becoming the most sustainable protein company on earth.”
