£480m-turnover Wirral bakery products manufacturer Baker & Baker unveils new chief commercial officer covering its UK market. Tony McDonough reports
Bakery products manufacturer Baker & Baker has appointed Graeme Williams as its new chief commercial officer covering the UK market.
This follows the decision by Tim Ryan to take early retirement, following more than 30 years of service in growing the business’s UK key accounts ten-fold. B&B says Tim had “delivered strong, consistent growth whilst securing record market-share”.
It adds that a gradual transfer of responsibilities from Tim to Graeme over the last 12 months will ensure a seamless transition within the business and for customers.
Graeme joined Baker & Baker in 2019 and during that time, he has played a key role in nurturing the business’s relationships with its large UK retail customers and driving growth across the in-store bakery category.
He will now join Baker and Baker’s six strong senior leadership team led by chief executive John Lindsay.
Based at Bromborough in Wirral, Baker & Baker is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of bakery products. It produces donuts, muffins, brownies, cookies, cakes, speciality breads and viennoiserie categories.
It employs more than 550 people at its main factory and headquarters in Stadium Road in Wirral. The firm operates a total of 12 European sites including Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, France Germany and Belgium.
Until April 2021 it was a division of US-based CSM Ingredients but now operates as an independent business. In its first full year of independence it saw sales of more than £380m. In October 2023 it reported annual sales of almost £480m.
On Graeme’s appointment John Lindsay said: “We’re extremely pleased to appoint Graeme as our new CCO UK. His talent and commitment over the last five years has been evident to all, and that continuity will set us up for our next period of growth.
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“Graeme already possesses deep and positive relationships with our customers, and has demonstrated his extensive leadership abilities in our commercial team during the transition period.”
Graeme added: “I’m honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead Baker & Baker’s UK commercial team.
“We have a talented group of colleagues that strive to deliver for customers and I’m looking forward to delivering on our plans over the coming years.”
