Wisdom Natural Brands, parent company of the SweetLeaf stevia brand and other natural sugar substitutes, today named long-time company consultant Aaron Henderson as CEO. He succeeds Michael May, a founding family member who has led Wisdom since 2021 and remains chairman of the board.
Henderson began his career in the industry nearly 25 years ago as Wisdom’s director of marketing, two decades after James A. May Sr. introduced stevia to the U.S. Henderson has since handled multiple consulting engagements with the company through The Touch Agency, a brand-building firm focused on natural foods where his 18-year tenure included the past five as CEO.
Henderson joined Wisdom’s board of directors in 2024 as the company embarked on a strategic growth initiative. His responsibilities as CEO include spearheading a comprehensive brand update, portfolio expansion, omnichannel optimization plan and leadership team changes designed to raise awareness of the SweetLeaf brand among a new generation of consumers seeking natural, zero-calorie alternatives to sugar.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.