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Wisdom Natural Brands, owner of the SweetLeaf stevia brand and other natural sugar alternatives, has appointed long-time company consultant Aaron Henderson to the role of CEO.

He succeeds Michael May, a founding family member who has led the company since 2021 and remains chairman of the board.

Henderson began his career in the industry nearly 25 years ago as Wisdom’s director of marketing, two decades after James A. May Sr. introduced stevia to the US. Since then, he has handled multiple consulting engagements with the company through The Touch Agency, a brand-building firm focused on natural foods. His 18-year tenure included the last five as its chief executive.

He joined Wisdom’s board of directors in 2024 amid the beginning of a new growth initiative for the company. As CEO, he will spearhead a comprehensive brand update, portfolio expansion, omnichannel optimisation plan and leadership changes designed to raise awareness of the SweetLeaf brand among a new generation of consumers seeking natural, zero-calorie sugar substitutes.

Henderson commented: “Wisdom both pioneered and popularised the use of stevia in the US. In the process, the company reshaped the sweetener market by giving consumers trying to reduce their sugar intake an alternative to artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose.”

Outgoing CEO May, who owns Wisdom with his three siblings, said that Henderson knows the business “inside and out,” bringing an “exceptionally deep” understanding of the natural food channel due to his experience with hundreds of other natural brands.

“At a time when the country is becoming increasingly interested in healthy eating habits and the stevia market is tracking at a 9.7% CAGR, he is unquestionably the right person to drive our next phase of growth,” May continued.

Commenting on his new role, Henderson added: “I believed in the mission 25 years ago when I joined the company as marketing director, and I believe in it even more today. Becoming CEO is a full-circle moment that gives me an opportunity to modernise the brand with a line-up of creative new products that will advance our mission of making a difference in people's health.”