Flowers Foods Names New President of Simple Mills Business
Flowers Foods Inc. has appointed Michelle Lorge to lead Simple Mills as its president, following founder and CEO Katlin Smith’s decision to step down from the role to spend more time with family and on philanthropic ventures.
Lorge, who will report directly to Flowers Foods chairman and CEO Ryals McMullian, is an 11-year veteran of Simple Mills who helped build the natural cracker, cookie, bar and baking mix brand alongside Smith, the company said. Flowers Foods acquired Simple Mills just about a year ago, announcing the deal in January 2025.
Lorge most recently served as chief marketing, innovation and mission officer for Simple Mills. She joined the company in 2015 as one of its first employees after having spent more than a decade at Kraft Foods, where she led brand marketing and product innovation for Philadelphia, A.1., Grey Poupon and Cool Whip. Simple Mills was founded in 2012 by Smith, who will maintain an advisory role with the company moving forward.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.