2024 Hall of Fame award winner
Maha Freij
Three Little Pigs Les Trois Petits Cochons
Maha Freij, president of Three Little Pigs/Les Trois Petits Cochons, draws a lot of pride from the company's success.
“This brand feels personal. I work as if I own it, and it makes me very happy," she said.
Freij has been with Three Little Pigs for 37 years, working her way up from a part-time position in accounts receivable, transitioning to national sales manager, then VP of sales, before being promoted to president.
"What attracted me to Three Little Pigs was the quality of the product and its ingredients,” which reminded Freij of her childhood in Lebanon. "We used to eat only fresh food from the market."
After coming to the U.S., she was shocked to see unhealthy eating and worrisome ingredients embedded into the culture. She said that she was struck by Three Little Pigs’ clean-label ethos, and was familiar with its product, having eaten French-imported pâté in her youth.
During her tenure, she helped grow the brand from a local, specialty pâté maker in New York into a national specialty brand known for charcuterie staples including foie gras, cured meats, and sous-vide egg bites.
SFA's Fancy Food Shows helped Freij build relationships with industry stakeholders and she, in turn, inspired the success of others by serving on SFA's Recognition and Membership Councils.
Freij said that she owes much of her success to the brand’s founder, Alain Sinturel, who made her believe that she could accomplish anything she set out to achieve.
“In the beginning, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing,” she remarked. “But his support was very good.”
Then, when he sold the company, Freij said that she was wary about sticking with the brand until she met the new CEO, David Kemp. She was struck by his vision.
“He is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life,” she said.
Freij’s leadership tactics are focused on democratizing the corporate structure. Being a leader means “being in the same position as everyone on the team,” said Freij who will retire at the end of the year. “My team hides my weaknesses and embellishes my strengths."
“This brand feels personal. I work as if I own it, and it makes me very happy," she said.
Freij has been with Three Little Pigs for 37 years, working her way up from a part-time position in accounts receivable, transitioning to national sales manager, then VP of sales, before being promoted to president.
"What attracted me to Three Little Pigs was the quality of the product and its ingredients,” which reminded Freij of her childhood in Lebanon. "We used to eat only fresh food from the market."
After coming to the U.S., she was shocked to see unhealthy eating and worrisome ingredients embedded into the culture. She said that she was struck by Three Little Pigs’ clean-label ethos, and was familiar with its product, having eaten French-imported pâté in her youth.
During her tenure, she helped grow the brand from a local, specialty pâté maker in New York into a national specialty brand known for charcuterie staples including foie gras, cured meats, and sous-vide egg bites.
SFA's Fancy Food Shows helped Freij build relationships with industry stakeholders and she, in turn, inspired the success of others by serving on SFA's Recognition and Membership Councils.
Freij said that she owes much of her success to the brand’s founder, Alain Sinturel, who made her believe that she could accomplish anything she set out to achieve.
“In the beginning, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing,” she remarked. “But his support was very good.”
Then, when he sold the company, Freij said that she was wary about sticking with the brand until she met the new CEO, David Kemp. She was struck by his vision.
“He is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life,” she said.
Freij’s leadership tactics are focused on democratizing the corporate structure. Being a leader means “being in the same position as everyone on the team,” said Freij who will retire at the end of the year. “My team hides my weaknesses and embellishes my strengths."