Lesaffre appoints new head
Riché is vacating his position as deputy MD of Lesaffre and general manager of Biospringer, Lesaffre’s business unit specialising in yeast extracts, to spearhead the Group’s overall development in the fields of baking, nutrition and health.
A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique, Riché began his career with Ernst & Young in 1997, later joining Lafarge and holding various finance positions in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He joined Lesaffre as global GM of Biospringer in 2017, also overseeing Procelys, Ennolys and LIS. He was appointed deputy MD of Lesaffre earlier this year.
Riché’s extensive management, strategic and operational experience acquired during a successful career stand him in good stead to lead the company’s 2022-2024 growth strategy.
Drive the company’s growth
“I am honoured by the confidence placed in me by Lesaffre’s Board of Directors to continue to drive the company's growth,” said Riché.
“Lesaffre has been driven for over 160 years by its ambition to create innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions based on micro-organisms and the power of fermentation. Those solutions meet the needs of nutrition, health and naturalness, which are more than ever at the heart of society’s challenges.”
During his nine-year tenure, Antoine Baule was instrumental in establishing the €2,2bn company as a global reference in yeast and breadmaking. In fact, the company claims that one bread out of every three in the world is made with its yeast.
“Antoine Baule has enabled us to accelerate the transformation of Lesaffre as a key player in the fermentation industry and we thank him for the commitment he has shown for over nine years,” said Thibaut de Ladoucette, chairman of the Board of Directors.
“After examining Lesaffre's major challenges for the coming years, the Board of Directors felt that Brice-Audren Riché has, in addition to his exemplary professional background, all the skills and personal qualities to pursue our development strategy. I am convinced that he will lead the Group towards new successes with the full support of Lesaffre's 10,700 employees.”
Dynamic teamwork
Baule said he leaves with the satisfaction of having contributed to the Group’s growth and profitability, “thanks, in particular, to the commitment and dynamism of all our teams throughout the world.
“Over the past few months, Brice-Audren Riché has led the steering of the 2022-2024 strategy with rigor and determination. This period has enabled us to exchange ideas in complete confidence and to share the information necessary to pursue Lesaffre’s ambitions. I am convinced that Brice-Audren has all the necessary qualities to guarantee the implementation of our commitments.”
