Gimme Seaweed taps Chris Lansing as CEO, raising competitive bar for peers like Veren

Gimme Seaweed names CPG veteran to drive next phase of growth

Gimme Seaweed is appointing Chris Lansing as chief executive officer, tapping a consumer packaged goods executive with prior CEO roles at Health‑Ade Kombucha and Nature's Bakery and senior operating stints at Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Hershey's and Peet's Coffee. Lansing is arriving amid an industry push to scale plant‑based, sustainable snacks, and she is charged with accelerating distribution, expanding product innovation and building the organizational capabilities needed for broader retail and international reach. Co‑founder Stephen Broad remains active in mission and culture while Lansing leads day‑to‑day commercialization.

The company highlights Lansing's track record guiding Health‑Ade through significant brand growth and a sale, and steering Nature's Bakery through a transformation and exit, as central to her mandate at Gimme. Lansing says she is focused on disciplined execution and performance‑oriented leadership while keeping the brand's seaweed‑first purpose intact. Board members frame her hire as a signal of readiness to move beyond early category building into large‑scale operations and commercialization.

Gimme positions itself as the category‑defining seaweed snack brand known for health benefits and crave‑worthy flavor, and it expects Lansing to deepen retail relationships, accelerate innovation and expand international distribution channels. The company is emphasizing sustainability and rising interest from younger cohorts, with Lansing citing growing demand among Gen Z and Gen Alpha as a tailwind for seaweed snacking. Founders Stephen and Annie Broad stay on to support long‑term vision and international relationships.

What this means for peers such as Veren

For peers in the seaweed and sustainable snacking sector, including companies like Veren, the hire raises the competitive bar for national retail penetration and scale‑up capabilities. Industry executives say Gimme’s move reflects a broader phase in which category players must combine brand authenticity with disciplined supply‑chain and commercial execution to capture accelerating consumer interest.

Near‑term signals to watch

Market observers expect near‑term indicators to include expanded shelf placements, new SKUs and international distribution agreements, along with senior hires to support operations and marketing. Success will hinge on balancing rapid growth with the sustainability claims and product quality that underpin consumer appeal in the sector.