Flowers Foods, Inc. has announced that Michelle Lorge has been appointed president of Simple Mills. Lorge will report directly to Ryals McMullian, chairman and CEO of Flowers Foods. She succeeds Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Simple Mills, who has made a personal decision to step down to spend more time with her family and on philanthropic interests, and will continue with the company in an advisory capacity.
“Michelle has been instrumental in shaping Simple Mills into the mission-driven, high-growth brand it is today,” said McMullian. “Her deep understanding of the business, strong leadership skills, and unwavering commitment to the company’s purpose make her exceptionally well-suited to lead Simple Mills into its next chapter. We are grateful to Katlin for her vision and leadership and look forward to her continued support in an advisory role.”
Startup to Leading Brand
Lorge, an 11-year veteran of Simple Mills, has built the brand alongside Smith, transforming the company from an early-stage startup into a leading natural cracker, cookie, bar, and baking mix brand with distribution in more than 30,000 stores nationwide. Most recently she served as chief marketing, innovation, and mission officer, where she led product innovation, built a purpose-driven marketing organisation, and advanced wellness and sustainability initiatives that have helped redefine industry standards. Lorge joined Simple Mills in 2015 as one of the brand’s first employees. Prior to joining Simple Mills, Lorge spent more than a decade at Kraft Foods where she led brand marketing and product innovation for Philadelphia, A.1., Grey Poupon, and Cool Whip.
“I am honoured to step into this role and continue the incredible work Katlin started,” said Lorge. “Simple Mills was founded on a belief that food can have a profound impact on human and planetary health, and that belief continues to inspire everything we do. I look forward to continuing to work with our talented team to advance our people and planet mission and broaden our impact to ignite meaningful change in the food industry and beyond.”
Smith founded Simple Mills in 2012 after recognising the transformative power of food in improving overall well-being. Under her leadership, the company grew into a category-leading brand carried by major retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Target, Walmart, and Costco, alongside a strong e-commerce presence on Amazon. She has been widely recognised for her entrepreneurial achievements, receiving honours such as Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc. 30 Under 30, and Progressive Grocer’s Top Woman in Grocery.
“Building Simple Mills has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” said Smith. “Michelle has been by my side shaping Simple Mills for many years and is deeply aligned with the mission and values that define who we are. I have full confidence in her ability to lead Simple Mills into the future.”
