Olivier Delaunay steps down as Barry Callebaut COO

November 6, 2022

Having served as Barry Callebaut’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) since 1 September, 2019, Olivier Delaunay has decided to leave the company for personal reasons. The Board of Directors has appointed Barry Callebaut’s current President Asia Pacific and member of the Executive Committee, Jo Thys, as the new COO, effective 1 January, 2023.

The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee thanked Mr Delaunay for his contribution to the company’s growth journey and his leadership in driving an integrated operational footprint.

Jo Thys has been President Asia Pacific and member of the Group’s Executive Commitee since 1 July, 2021. Under his leadership the region accelerated its growth and expanded its operational footprint to Australia. Mr Thys has been with the company for 25 years, having started as a graduate trainee in 1997 and has since 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.

Since then, he has held the role as Vice President Operations and Supply Chain Global Cocoa where he supported the integration of Delfi, the Cocoa Ingredients Division from Singapore-based Petra Foods into Barry Callebaut in 2013. From 2017 to 2021 he served as Vice President Cocoa Africa with additional responsibility for Africa, Middle East and Turkey.

“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,” said Peter Boone, CEO of Barry Callebaut.

“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,” Mr Boone concluded.

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

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