Confectionery company Ferrero Australia has appointed Craig Barker as its new managing director for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
He replaces Daniele Bondì, who has been appointed global president for Ferrero’s Nutella brand.
Barker has 20 years of experience in the confectionery industry including 12 years with Mars in the UK. He has been with Ferrero for the last eight years, working across the UK and Ireland in a global role based in Ferrero’s central headquarters in Luxembourg. He has spent the last three years with the company in Australia.
“Australians have developed a strong affinity with Ferrero brands over the last 40 years and this continues to grow today. We look forward to further developing this relationship and ensuring that more people enjoy Ferrero products in the coming years,” Barker said.
Derek Lath, corporate communications director said: “We offer our congratulations to Craig Barker and thank Daniele Bondì for his significant contribution to the growth of the Ferrero Australia business. We wish them both well in their new professional challenges.”
Ferrero is a global company privately owned by the Ferrero family. Ferrero expanded to Australia in 1974 and now employs more than 300 people.
In addition to Ferrero and Nutella, the company's Australian brands include Tic Tac and Kinder. The company’s commercial headquarters are located in Sydney with its manufacturing operations based in Lithgow, west of Sydney, where Nutella and Tic Tac are made.
Ferrero Australia is the 83rd largest food and beverage company in Australia, according to the soon to be released Top 100 food & drink companies 2013 report.
The Top 100 report is an annual publication which is produced by Food & Drink Business in collaboration with IBISWorld. It ranks Australia's largest food and drink companies by size and includes key stats such as sales performance and the latest strategic manoeuvres.
