Beyond Oil has appointed Shai Altman, a food and consumer goods executive with roughly three decades of industry experience, to its advisory board, the company announced. The move is aimed at accelerating the startup's growth strategy across North American markets.
Altman's career includes senior leadership roles at McCain Foods, one of the world's largest producers of frozen potato products, and The Wrigley Company, the confectionery division of Mars Inc. His background spans brand management, commercial operations, and market expansion across both retail and foodservice channels — experience that maps directly onto the challenges facing an emerging food-tech supplier trying to scale with major quick-service and industrial frying customers.
Why the Hire Matters
Advisory board appointments at early- and growth-stage food-tech companies carry strategic weight beyond their formal scope. Executives with McCain-caliber pedigree bring direct relationships with the procurement and R&D teams at the large-scale frying operations that represent Beyond Oil's core addressable market. The company's core technology — an oil-management solution designed to extend frying oil life and reduce acrylamide formation — targets high-volume fryer operators including QSR chains, contract manufacturers, and institutional foodservice operators, all segments where Altman has deep familiarity.
North America remains the largest and most competitive arena for frying-oil management technologies. The segment has attracted growing attention from operators focused on input-cost reduction and sustainability reporting, as cooking-oil waste and consumption have become line items subject to increasing scrutiny from corporate ESG frameworks. Beyond Oil's pitch sits at the intersection of operational efficiency and clean-label formulation — a combination that has gained traction as food manufacturers face pressure on both margins and ingredient transparency.
Outlook
The appointment signals that Beyond Oil is moving beyond early-stage commercialization and investing in the senior-level relationships needed to convert pilot programs into long-term supply agreements with North American accounts. For context on how food-tech firms at comparable stages have structured advisory and go-to-market functions, see F&B Industry News coverage of emerging food technology partnerships and executive moves in the foodservice supply chain.
The company has not disclosed financial terms of the advisory arrangement, revenue figures, or specific customer targets in conjunction with the announcement.
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.
