BOSTON — Food technology company Motif Ingredients has appointed Michele Fite as its new chief commercial officer. A food business leader and nutrition expert, Ms. Fite will lead Motif’s commercial strategy and execution. She will be tasked with building and leading the company’s business development, marketing, sales and product management teams.

Ms. Fite has nearly 30 years of experience in food and consumer goods. Most recently, she was president of Kerry’s dairy and culinary division. Before that she held leadership roles at several companies, including DuPont, Solae and Nestle. She was the founding chief executive officer at start-up Cadena Biosciences, which focused on using microbiomes to treat diseases and improve health.

"I've worked with Michele for over 13 years, and her experience in both large-scale food businesses and fast-paced start-ups is the perfect recipe to accelerate Motif's growth,” said Jonathan McIntyre, c.e.o. at Motif Ingredients. “Michele has just the right balance of a deep understanding of food science and a proven track record of marketing product breakthroughs.”

The company said Ms. Fite will help bridge consumer insights with food innovation as it explores meat alternatives, dairy alternatives and plant proteins. Motif, which launched in February with $90 million in funding, is focused on defying consumer expectations for animal-free foods by using science and technology to develop nutritious, accessible and sustainable ingredients.

"I am thrilled to join the Motif team at a time when we are seeing an incredible opportunity to revolutionize the food space," Ms. Fite said. "A major shift in consumer eating preferences and behaviors has coincided with amazing technological breakthroughs — and Motif is perfectly positioned to leverage this to empower businesses to create new eating experiences, bring more consumers to plant-based foods and have a positive impact on our planet."