MONTREAL, CANADA — Audrey St. Onge has been named president and chief executive officer of Lallemand’s North American Bakers Yeast business. She succeeds Gary Edwards, who was named senior vice-president and special adviser in 2018.

St. Onge most recently was senior vice-president of operations with the SK Food Group. Earlier, she spent five years with Albertsons/Safeway as director of manufacturing. Before moving to the United States to manage Safeway’s largest bakery plant based in Los Angeles, St. Onge managed Canadian Safeway plants that handled both bakery and fruit juice production. She also was general manager of Montreal Airline Catering. St. Onge has been a member of the American Bakers Association’s board of directors for three years.

 “Audrey’s operational and leadership experience shows a clear record of delivering on expectations and generating shareholder value,” said Bill Nankervis, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Lallemand. “Over the last several months we conducted a thorough search process and we are confident Audrey is the right person to lead our business serving the North American baking industry into the future. She brings a wealth of operational and food industry experience as well as a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lie before us. I am very pleased to have someone of her caliber join us.”

Lallemand Inc. is a privately-held Canadian company, and is a developer, producer and marketer of yeasts, bacteria and other microorganisms serving the baking, winemaking, distilling, ethanol, brewing, animal nutrition, dietary supplements, food, fermentation, pharmaceutical and plant care industries. Lallemand has more than 4,000 employees located in over 40 countries. Lallemand Baking operates yeast plants in Canada, the United States, Europe, the U.K., Russia and South Africa.