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Saputo has announced that its president and CEO, Lino Saputo, will transition to the role of executive chair of the board.

The transition is set to take place on 9 August, when Carl Colizza, the company’s current president and COO for North America, will assume the position. In his new position as executive chair of the board, Lino Saputo will continue to provide oversight of the company’s strategic development to drive value creation. Lino Saputo joined the dairy giant in 1988 as an administrative assistant, before rising the ranks to become president and COO of the company’s dairy products division in 2001, before being appointed as Saputo’s CEO in 2004. Lino Saputo said: “As I will be transitioning to the position of executive chair, my role will shift into a new capacity more focused on strategic oversight, continuing to promote the Saputo vision and values, and supporting the leadership team...we fully support Colizza’s nomination as president and CEO.” He continued: “I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am excited to continue supporting Colizza and the entire Saputo team in achieving even greater success in the years to come. Colizza is an extraordinary business leader who is well-respected across our industry and has a strong track record of leading global teams. He has deep roots within Saputo and has played a pivotal role in developing our strategy and improving our business.” Colizza, who joined Saputo in 1998, has held key leadership positions in areas including engineering, operations, business development and strategy. He was appointed president and COO of the Canadian dairy division in 2015 before taking on the role of president and COO of North America in 2019. Colizza commented: "I am honoured to lead Saputo and our talented team with Lino’s support, building upon the foundation we have established over the past seven decades. For over 25 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Lino, whose commitment to Saputo’s culture, our people, and the communities we serve is truly extraordinary. I am excited to continue advancing Saputo’s business and delivering on the incredible opportunities we see ahead.” It’s already been a busy start to the year for Saputo. Earlier this month, Saputo’s Cathedral City brand partnered with Oscar Mayer to launch four new chilled meals, and in February the same brand collaborated with Heinz on a new cheesy beans product. In April, Saputo entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement with North American power producer Capital Power. The long-term deal is part of Saputo’s sustainability efforts and is set to reduce the dairy giant’s CO2 emissions by more than 140,000 tonnes. Following the transition, Colizza will continue to execute the functions of president and COO, North America, until a replacement is found.