TORONTO — David J. Colo has been named president and chief executive officer of SunOpta, Inc., a supplier of organic and non-G.M.O. specialty products. He comes to the company from Diamond Foods, where he has been executive vice-president and chief operating officer since 2013.

David J. Colo, president and c.e.o. of SunOpta

In his role with Diamond Foods, Mr. Colo was responsible for marketing, innovation, R.&D., operations, supply chain, procurement, quality, food safety, grower services and contract manufacturing. Together with the Diamond Foods executive team, he was responsible for leading the turnaround of the company and its eventual sale for approximately $1.9 billion to Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. in March 2016.

“After a thorough search, we are pleased to announce the hiring of an exceptional leader and operator, with a proven track record in the food industry,” said Dean Hollis, chairman of SunOpta’s board. “David is a very talented executive and I have seen first-hand, on several occasions, his leadership, business intensity and operational skills.

“During his time at Diamond Foods, David was also intimately involved with our partner, Oaktree Capital Management, so we expect an extremely efficient integration into his role of leading the company and its value creation plan.”