The company produces a range of products using pea and soy, including chicken-free strips and the Beast Burger. Its vision is to reduce global meat consumption by 25% by 2020.
Thompson worked at McDonald’s for nearly 25 years and was formerly CEO and president of McDonald’s Corporation and also served as president and global chief operating officer, president of McDonald’s US, as well as executive vice-president of McDonald’s Restaurant Solutions Group.
“We are delighted and truly honoured to have Don join our board,” said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat. “Don’s expertise and leadership is invaluable as we seek to deliver on our promise of enabling consumers to eat what they love, without any downsides. We look forward to working with Don to bring our plant-based meats to consumers here in the United States and abroad.”
Thompson said: “More and more, every day, the traditional favourites of beef, fowl and fish are being augmented with additional plant protein sources to satisfy this new taste demand. Ethan and the team at Beyond Meat have proven that you can actually have great taste and high quality with plant-based proteins – even in a burger.”
Last month, the company struck partnership deals with US athletes from the NBA, WNBA, MLB, AVP and World Surf League. Specific partners include J J Redick, David Wright, Maya Moore, April Ross, Eric Bledsoe, Maggie Vessey, and Tia Blanco. Each athlete has adopted plant protein in his or her diet as part of the partnership.