Bakery equipment supplier Baker Perkins has appointed new managing directors for its UK and US operations.

The shake-up follows the decision by company owner John Cowx to relinquish his role as managing director, although he will remain with the business as chairman.

Dan Bassett, currently the firm’s director of capital sales for food sectors, will head up the UK company, based in Peterborough.

Bassett joined Baker Perkins as a graduate trainee in 1990, and worked in sales before being named commercial manager in 1999.

He became sales manager for bakery and biscuit in the UK and Ireland, and took business sector responsibility for bakery, biscuit and industrial extrusion. He was then appointed director of capital sales for all food sectors in 2013.

Geoff Hawley takes over Bassett’s role as director of food capital sales. Hawley joined Baker Perkins as sales account manager for bakery in 2003 and moved to the US company 10 years later as sales director. He returned to the UK last year to become strategic development manager - sales.

Dan Smith is taking the reins as managing director of Baker Perkins in the US. Smith was appointed assistant manager of field service at the business, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1995. He became aftermarket parts supply manager two years later and operations manager in 2002, before being appointed general manager in 2006.

Baker Perkins has supplied machinery and systems to the food industry from its Peterborough and Michigan operations for more than 100 years.