Appointments of managing, finance, marketing, and supply chain directors have been announced across the baking industry.
Check out our latest round-up of new hires and internal promotions at bakery and equipment suppliers plus a high street brand:
Bells Food Group
Mark Bruce has been welcomed as the new commercial director at family-owned Scotch pie maker Bells Food Group.
Bruce is said to bring extensive commercial experience across food manufacturing, foodservice and retail to the role, including in both branded and own-label products. His previous senior roles included at Pitreavie Packaging, Border Biscuits, Finsbury Food Group, and Brakes UK.
“That breadth of experience is important for Bells as we maintain our strong customer relationships, identify new opportunities and focus on sustainable, profitable growth,” said the 95-year-old Lanarkshire-based business. “Mark’s background also brings a strong understanding of brand development, NPD, strategic planning and working with many of the UK’s major retailers and foodservice wholesalers.”
Cherrytree Bakery
Sweet treat manufacturer Cherrytree Bakery has named a pair of new directors to its board, aimed at building on its success and supporting ambitious plans for growth.
Brent Sanderson has been promoted to supply chain director, having joined the Burnley-based firm in 2017 following a 28-year career with Coveris. “Brent has played a pivotal role in developing our supply chain operation, putting in place the people, systems and processes that are so important to the business today,” commented Cherrytree MD Mark Beaumont. “His commitment, expertise and leadership have been invaluable, and we’re delighted to recognise his achievements with this appointment.”
As new finance director, Chris Dawson brings a wealth of financial, commercial and strategic experience gained throughout an extensive career in the food manufacturing industry. He was most recently finance director at Sykes Seafood, and has held senior roles at meat suppliers Dunbia and Myton Food Group. He also worked alongside Beaumont at Food Pack, who described him as an extremely knowledgeable and capable individual.
“We’re at an exciting stage in our development, and having someone of Chris’s calibre joining our leadership team is a real positive for the business,” added the Cherrytree MD.
Pladis Global
Frankgerald Stepp has become the new chief supply chain officer at McVitie’s owner Pladis, as it looks to build on a multi-year transformation of its manufacturing and supply chain network – including a £68m investment across its UK bakeries.
Starting in January 2027, Stepp will take responsibility for the company’s global end-to-end supply chain across more than 110 markets. He succeeds Mario Reis, who will retire at the end of 2026 after helping to reshape the Pladis’ manufacturing footprint and capabilities for almost a decade.
Stepp joins from Dublin-listed Kerry Group, where he most recently served as chief operations officer of its biotech business and as global vice-president of manufacturing. He previously held senior leadership positions at Aryzta, Kraft Foods, and Mondelez International.
“Pladis has built an impressive portfolio of brands and a strong manufacturing network across its markets,” he said. “I’m looking forward to joining the business and working with colleagues around the world to build on that foundation and support the company’s long-term ambitions.”
Pret A Manger
Food-to-go chain Pret has appointed Claire Small as its new UK marketing director.
Small has held marketing, innovation, and commercial leadership roles across hospitality brands including the Restaurant Group, SSP, and most recently Elior UK where she was marketing director.
Having worked extensively in food innovation and applying data-driven insight to help grow sales, Small is to lead Pret UK to develop innovative new ranges, limited-time offers, and promotional strategy focused on delivering great value to customers.
“Pret is entering an exciting new phase and we are building a market-leading team to grow a brand that already has a huge amount of customer loyalty and love,” said Pret chief marketing office Matt Bresnahan. “We’re excited to welcome Claire to the team as we continue to build on our value-focused initiatives, new campaigns and product innovation initiatives.”
Reiser UK
Ryan Jones has assumed the role of managing director at equipment supplier Reiser UK.
He steps into the leadership position from VP executive at parent company Reiser Holdings, where he supported functions across the business, built strong relationships with the UK team and customers, and gained in-depth knowledge of its UK portfolio.
Having begun his career in engineering – including at Bosch – before moving into regional commercial and sales leadership at the likes of weighing and packing specialist Ishida Europe and Italian manufacturer Aetna Group.
“Reiser already has an absolute obsession with customer support in its DNA,” commented Jones. “My priority is to build on that, making our business laser focused on our customers’ needs, challenges, and future plans.”
He is also to work on creating an environment that attracts and retain industry talent. “Culture is incredibly important to me. I want our people to enjoy coming to work, take pride in what they do and feel part of one team,” Jones added.
No comments yet