WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute today announced industry veteran Nicole Johnson-Hoffman was hired to be Chief Operating Officer.

“Nicole Johnson-Hoffman brings a wide breadth of experience in the regulatory, legal, and sustainability fields of the animal protein industry,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Her various roles have prepared her well to oversee operations at the Meat Institute at a critical time for the industry and during a time of great change and innovation.”

Nicole begins transitioning into the role in January 2025 as Mark Dopp, the Meat Institute’s outgoing COO and General Counsel, prepares to retire in March of 2025.

Photos available upon request. Email Sarah Little.

About Nicole Johnson-Hoffman:

Nicole Johnson-Hoffman began her career as an attorney at Cargill where she eventually became Vice President, Law Cargill Meat Solutions, and later, Vice President and General Manager of Cargill Beef at Fort Morgan, CO. Subsequently, she was the Vice President, Managing Director of Cargill’s Value-Added Protein/Cargill McDonald’s Business Unit where she managed Cargill’s McDonald’s business segments in the US and Canada.

After 19 years at Cargill, in 2016 Nicole joined OSI Group as Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer where she managed the company’s global McDonald’s business unit, encompassing 64 markets, and led OSI’s global sustainability strategy, creating infrastructure for successful execution.

Johnson-Hoffman served two terms as the President of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and was the founding Chairperson for the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, both key partners in the Protein PACT.

From 2022-2023, Johnson-Hoffman served as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Board Member of the Israeli cultivated meat startup Future Meat Technologies (d/b/a Believer Meats), leading the creation of a new consumer-facing brand, building a professional leadership team, and implementing foundational systems in Finance, HR, Legal, IT, and Corporate Governance.

About the Meat Institute

The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.