Jo Thys to succeed Olivier Delaunay as Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Barry Callebaut, the Swiss cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer

Jo Thys to succeed Olivier Delaunay as Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Barry Callebaut, the Swiss cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer

Olivier Delaunay, Chief Operations Officer, to leave Barry Callebaut; Jo Thys appointed COO effective January 1, 2023

(PRESS RELEASE) ZURICH, 2-Nov-2022 — /EuropaWire/ — Barry Callebaut Group (SWX: BARN), Switzerland-based cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer, has announced that Jo Thys will succeed Olivier Delaunay as Chief Operations Officer (COO) at its Executive Committee. Olivier will leave the company for personal reasons following successfully serving as the Group’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) since September 1, 2019. Jo Thys, Barry Callebaut’s current President Asia Pacific and member of the Executive Committee, has been appointed as the new COO by the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2023.

The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee would like to thank Olivier Delaunay for his impactful contribution to Barry Callebaut’s growth journey, and in particular for his leadership in successfully driving an integrated operational footprint.

Jo Thys (born 1972, Belgian national) has been President Asia Pacific and member of the Group’s Executive Committee since July 1, 2021. Under his leadership the Region accelerated its growth and expanded its operational footprint to Australia. Jo Thys has been with Barry Callebaut for 25 years. He started as a graduate trainee with the Group in 1997 and held several positions in Operations in Region EMEA before moving to the US in 2006 as Vice President Operations and Supply Chain for Region Americas. He moved back to Europe in 2010, where in his role as Vice President Operations and Supply Chain Global Cocoa, he supported the integration of Delfi, the Cocoa Ingredients Division from Singapore-based Petra Foods, into the Group in 2013. From 2017 to 2021, Jo Thys served as Vice President Cocoa Africa, with additional responsibility for Africa, Middle East and Türkiye. Jo Thys holds an Electromechanical engineering degree from Group T University College of Leuven, Belgium. (see separate bio for further details)

“Olivier successfully accomplished what he set out to as COO, which is that our network of factories continues to offer our customers more cost effective solutions delivered in a reliable way. I wish Olivier all the best in his future steps.

“I am delighted to welcome Jo Thys as Barry Callebaut’s new COO. Jo is a home grown talent. By leading for Barry Callebaut a number of strategic roles across three continents, Jo Thys combines a profound knowledge of operations and supply chains with deep business insights. Furthermore, Jo is a strong believer in the business case for sustainability, as well as gender and cultural diversity. Jo’s appointment will ensure a smooth handover and continued operational excellence,” commented Peter Boone, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group.

Barry Callebaut will announce in due time who will succeed Jo Thys as President Asia Pacific.

About Barry Callebaut Group:

With annual sales of about CHF 8.1 billion (EUR 7.8 billion / USD 8.6 billion) in fiscal year 2021/22, the Zurich- based Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products – from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 65 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 13,000 people.

The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut^® and Cacao Barry^®, Carma^® and the decorations specialist Mona Lisa^®.

The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025 to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.

Media contacts:

Frank Keidel
Head of Media Relations
+41 76 399 69 06​

Claudia Pedretti
Head of Investor Relations
+41 43 204 04 23

SOURCE: Barry Callebaut