Valeo Foods taps 2 Sisters Food Group Boss Ronald Kers as new CEO
IRELAND – Valeo Foods, an Irish multinational producer of branded food and beverage products, has appointed Ronald Kers as the new CEO.
Kers who has been serving as Group CEO of leading UK poultry processor, 2 Sisters Food Group, for the last five years will succeed Seamus Kearney.
Ronald Kers has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial engineering from the Hague University of Applied Sciences and a master’s degree in business administration from York University.
Valeo Foods is a subsidiary of Bain Capital and it owns brands such as Rowse honey, Kettle crisps, Jacob’s biscuits, Matthew Walker puddings and Batchelors peas and beans.
The company appointed Ronald Kers following Seamus Kearney’s decision to step down after serving in the position for 11 years.
The company intends to leverage Ronald’s expertise and longevity in the field as he has worked for several major industry players in various positions.
Before working for the 2 Sisters group, Kers was the CEO of the German dairy giant, Muller Group, for 7 years, and the CEO and Market head of Nestlé Austria and Slovenia.
He was also the general manager and head of marketing at Nestlé chilled dairy Europe for two years and the managing director at Lactalis for two years as well.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Valeo Foods, and look forward to partnering with the team to help realise the ambition of building a scale and growing platform of multi-national food brands,” Kers said.
According to Boparan Holdings Limited (BHL), 2 Sisters’ parent company, Kers has a notice period of 6 months and will remain in the business to ensure a smooth handover.
The company’s EUP poultry and UK/ROI pastry operations will continue to report to Kers while BHL president, Ranjit Singh, will manage the UK poultry & ready meal businesses and CFO Craig Tomkinson will have responsibility for all group functions.
All three officials will report directly to non-executive chairman Richard Pennycook as the succession process begins. The BHL board intends to utilize this time to review the leadership and structure of the Group.
During his time as CEO. Seamus Kearney on the other hand spearheaded a period of expansion for Valeo Foods, which included 18 acquisitions
Last year, the company made its first acquisition in North America via a deal to buy Canadian maple syrup maker, Les Industries Bernard & Fils.
“I would like to thank Ronald for his commitment over the past five years. He came here with a clear vision of what 2 Sisters should look like and how it should be run, and he has played a pivotal role in moving the business forward in the right direction,” Pennycook added.
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