Michael McCain

Michael H. McCain is Executive Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Foods, an iconic Canadian company with a bold vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth. Michael has devoted his career to the food industry, starting at McCain Foods in the late 1970s, where he held a variety of roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer of McCain Foods USA. He joined Maple Leaf Foods in 1995 and became Chief Executive Officer of the company in 1998, a position he held until May 2023. Michael has been instrumental in establishing Maple Leaf Foods as a sustainable, purpose-driven company with world-class assets, market-leading brands, and a remarkably talented team grounded in the company’s foundational culture and Leadership Values.

Michael is a vocal proponent of stakeholder capitalism, and deeply committed to creating shared value for all stakeholders through an organization committed to sustainable food production. Under his leadership, Maple Leaf Foods became world’s first major carbon neutral food company and the first food company in Canada to set globally respected Science-Based Targets. Michael also led the establishment of the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a meaningful difference in addressing food insecurity in Canada through action, advocacy and partnerships.

In addition to his role as Executive Chairman of the Maple Leaf Foods Board, Michael sits on the Board of the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security where he is Honorary Chair, the Daymark Foundation, and he is Chairman of McCain Capital Inc. He is also a member of the Business Council of Canada, and the Board of Trustees for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation.

Born in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Michael attended Mount Allison University and received an Honours Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario. He holds honorary degrees from Western University, St Mary’s University, Brock University, Carleton University and Guelph University. He is devoted to his children, grandchildren and family, and lives in Toronto.