TORONTO, June 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The Board of Directors of McCain Foods Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Dirk Van de Put as President and CEO and a Director of the Company, succeeding Dale Morrison, effective July 1, 2011.

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.

After seven years as President and CEO, Dale is leaving McCain Foods to become a founding partner in a private equity firm. During his tenure, Dale was instrumental in developing and leading the execution of a comprehensive strategic plan which focused on productivity improvements, leveraging the company's global scale for competitive advantage, opening new avenues of growth in emerging markets and elevating the knowledge, skills and contributions of employees across the organization.

"Dale has made a significant contribution to McCain during his time with us," said Allison McCain. "Under his leadership, McCain is both far stronger and far better positioned for future growth worldwide. We are indeed fortunate to have had Dale as part of McCain during the past seven years and he is leaving us in very capable hands."

About McCain Foods Limited:

McCain Foods Limited is an international leader in the frozen food industry, employing 20,000 people and operating 50 production facilities on six continents. A privately owned company based in Florenceville, New Brunswick, McCain generates annual sales in excess of CDN$6 billion. The world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato specialties, McCain also produces frozen pizza, appetizers, oven meals, juice and desserts. The company's products can be found in thousands of restaurants and supermarket freezers in more than 160 countries around the world. McCain also owns The Day & Ross Transportation Group - based in Hartland, New Brunswick - one of the largest transportation companies in Canada.

Editors: Visit our newsroom at http://www.mccain.com to download a high-resolution image of Dirk Van de Put.

    
    For further information:

    Susan Rogers
    Global Vice President, Corporate Communications
    Toronto Corporate Office
    +1-416-955-1713, susan.rogers@mccain.ca

SOURCE McCain Foods Limited