Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor is President & CEO of Lactalis Canada Inc., the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of the world’s leading dairy group, headquartered in Laval, France.

Since assuming the role of President & CEO in 2018, Mark has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and transformation including leading the CDN$1.62 billion acquisition of Kraft Heinz’s natural cheese business in Canada in 2019, the biggest of its kind in Canadian dairy history. This transaction was followed by the acquisitions of Ultima Foods Inc. from Agropur and the Kraft Heinz Grated cheese business in Canada in 2021. Today, Lactalis Canada is the third largest country by turnover in Lactalis Group, third largest branded CPG manufacturer in Canada and consistently named on Forbes’ list of Canada’s Best Employers.

Within the industry, Mark has played an instrumental role in the advocacy and creation of a Grocery Code of Conduct for Canada. In 2023, Mark was named Most Influential CEO 2023 – Toronto Food & Beverage Manufacturing  by international publication CEO Monthly Magazine.

Mark brings over 30 years of experience in CPG, specifically in the dairy category through various leadership roles across the supply chain from farm to consumer. Before locating to Canada, Mark was Group Managing Director of Lactalis U.K. and Ireland from 2015 to 2018. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of U.K.-based Muddy Boots Software Limited, an agri-food sector supply chain and quality compliance software company sold to Telus Agriculture in 2021. Mark was also a Board member of Zenith International Consulting in the U.K. focused on M&A and international business. He has set up and managed a number of joint venture relationships with large and small partners in the U.K., EU and U.S. and has worked with Private Equity businesses on a myriad of M&A projects in the food sector.

Prior to enrolling in Diageo’s graduate training scheme in 1988, he gained practical experience on farms in the U.K., Germany and New Zealand and various senior leadership roles at Express Dairy PLC, Northern Foods PLC, Unigate PLC and Dairy Crest PLC including being part of an MBO team and Board member of Wexford Creamery, Ireland.

In the U.K., Mark was involved in drafting the U.K. Agriculture & Food Strategy, served as a member of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform Steering Group and worked with the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate UK) as a Monitoring Officer and Assessor. Mark’s wider community interests have also included working with Cambridge University’s Natural Capital Leaders Program; he is Fellow of the Royal Agricultural University 100 Club and past Chairman of HRH The Prince of Wales Rural Action Program Dairy Group.

Mark is currently a Board Director of Dairy Processors Association Canada (DPAC), Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) and The Grocery Foundation where he also Chairs the Donations Committee. Mark has also been appointed as cabinet member of the Feel Out Loud with Kids Help Phone campaign, the largest youth mental health movement in Canada.

Mark holds an MBA and resides in Toronto with his wife, Angela, and two sons.