August 4, 2025 – Rubix Foods, a leading provider of flavor and functional ingredient solutions owned by Arbor Investments, today appoints Ryan Smith as chief executive officer. Smith brings over two decades of executive experience at leading global flavor and ingredient businesses, including Ajinomoto and Kerry.
Smith most recently served as chief growth officer and executive vice president at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition, where he led a team of more than 400 employees and managed the North America Food Ingredients and Animal Nutrition divisions. Prior to that, Smith served as the vice president and general manager of Kerry Group’s dairy and bakery markets.
“Ryan brings the rare combination of deep industry expertise and a proven track record of growth with foodservice and CPG customers,” said John Jordan, president of Arbor Investments. “He’s a strong, people-centric leader who knows how to build and empower high-performing teams, making him the ideal fit for Rubix’s continued evolution.”
Arbor acquired Rubix in 2019 and subsequently executed a major strategic transformation of the business with significant investments in people, facilities, brand, R&D infrastructure and new product development capabilities.
“Ryan has decades of experience winning new business with innovative, on-trend solutions,” said Arbor principal Scott Farmer. “He will capitalize on Rubix’s differentiated R&D capabilities to significantly increase the company’s position as the go-to provider of traffic-driving flavors for restaurants and CPG brands.”
Smith’s appointment as CEO marks a strategic inflection point for Rubix Foods as it accelerates its growth and innovation.
“Rubix has a well-deserved reputation as a true innovation powerhouse, developing flavors and technologies that have shaped food and beverage offerings for leading brands,” said Smith. “I’m energized by the opportunity to lead such a forward-thinking team, and eager to deepen customer partnerships while advancing breakthrough innovations that drive sustainable growth.”
