Steve Lesnard, a brand executive with senior roles at Nike, The North Face, Sephora, and Godiva, became CEO of Yerba Madre on July 20, replacing Ben Mand, who guided the company through a structural overhaul and will stay on as a board advisor.

The appointment signals a strategic pivot for the Oakland- and Los Angeles-based beverage company — from building operational infrastructure toward driving consumer awareness and retail velocity. Yerba Madre, formerly known as Guayakí Yerba Mate, is the dominant ready-to-drink yerba mate brand in North America, stocked in more than 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. For foodservice and hospitality buyers watching the functional beverage aisle, the brand's widening distribution footprint and elevated leadership profile are worth tracking as on-premise demand for natural energy drinks continues to grow.

Lesnard's Playbook

Lesnard transitions to the CEO chair from Yerba Madre's own board of directors, giving him an unusually close pre-appointment view of the company's finances and strategy. His commercial pedigree spans some of the most recognized brand transformations in consumer goods: at Nike, he led development of the Women's, Olympics, and Running categories and was instrumental in launching Nike+, LunarGlide, Nike React, and the Vaporfly. He later served as Chief Marketing Officer and head of product creation at The North Face, Chief Brand Officer at Sephora, and President at Godiva — a track record weighted toward premium, lifestyle-oriented brands with loyal consumer communities.

"Yerba Madre is a very special brand," Lesnard said. "For over three decades, it has proven that a brand can deliver a superior product — made with purposefully sourced ingredients, including yerba mate harvested in harmony with nature — while simultaneously restoring ecosystems and supporting communities. That is an extraordinary foundation to build from."

Board Chairman Emily White framed the hire as a deliberate continuity play. "Steve has sat with us in the boardroom, he knows this business, and he believes in why we exist," she said. "He has spent his career building brands people love — and scaling them while preserving their authenticity."

Operational Groundwork

Mand's tenure, while ending, was not inconsequential. He overhauled Yerba Madre's supply chain and co-manufacturing relationships, shifted the company from largely self-distribution to regional distribution partnerships, and shepherded the rebrand from Guayakí to Yerba Madre — a significant identity move for a 30-year-old brand. Those structural repairs now give Lesnard a cleaner platform from which to pursue growth.

The brand's differentiation story is rooted in sourcing. Yerba Madre works directly with 257 Indigenous and farmer families across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay under its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, and holds Regenerative Organic Certified® Gold status — the first company in South America to reach that tier. For operators and retail buyers increasingly fielding questions about supply chain ethics and environmental impact, that certification provides a ready-made talking point.

The company also added Scott Miller, co-founder and CEO of YESLY Water and a veteran of Essentia and Keurig Dr Pepper, to its board — reinforcing beverage-distribution expertise at the governance level as Lesnard prepares to push deeper into retail and, potentially, on-premise channels.

For hospitality professionals tracking the functional beverage trends reshaping beverage programs, Yerba Madre's combination of natural caffeine, regenerative sourcing, and now high-profile leadership could accelerate its presence beyond retail. Operators seeking alternatives to traditional energy drinks in café and bar settings would do well to monitor how Lesnard positions the brand in foodservice — an area where, as restaurant beverage strategy evolves, differentiated RTD options are gaining traction.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.