The Board of Directors of McCain Foods Limited has appointment Dirk Van de Put as President and CEO and a Director of the Company, succeeding Dale Morrison, from July 1.

The Board of Directors, through the normal leadership review and succession process, recruited and appointed Dirk Van de Put as Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the Operating Company Board in May 2010.

"We were delighted to attract someone of Dirk's calibre to McCain Foods," said Chairman of the Board, Allison McCain. "Dirk has been working closely with Dale over the past year getting to know our people, our business and our opportunities. This planned transition will enable us to continue our focus on growing the McCain business around the world."

Dirk brings to McCain extraordinary global experience gained from more than 20 years in the food and consumer packaged goods industry. He joined McCain Foods from Novartis where he was President of the $3-billion global Over-the-Counter Consumer Health business. Prior to joining Novartis, Dirk held executive positions with Group Danone and Mars Incorporated. Dirk graduated with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Gent in Belgium and an MBA from the University of Antwerp. He is fluent in English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German.