Genius appoints former PepsiCo general manager as CEO

His appointment follows the acquisition of Genius by Katjes Greenfood in June last year (2022) and forms part of the latter’s plans to expand into the UK market.

Smart served as general manager for PepsiCo’s Ireland business since September 2017, before which he held several senior commercial and supply chain roles with Diageo in the UK and across UK.

History in the industry

In addition, he was chairman of the Irish Beverage Council, working with industry colleagues on Brexit, the Sugar Tax and the soon to be enforced deposit return scheme in Scotland.

Commenting on his appointment, Smart said: “I am delighted to be both back in Scotland and joining such an exciting company as Genius. With many of my family and friends struggling with the challenges that gluten can create, I have closely watched Genius on its amazing journey as a brand for many years helping hundreds of thousands of consumers.​

“The entrepreneurial spirit and boldness to become the first quality Gluten Free product on the market was inspirational and I feel very privileged to take the brand, the company, and our great employees on the next stage of our journey.”​

Succeeds Peter Quinn

Smart takes over from Dr Peter Quinn, former chief executive of Genius Foods, who successfully lead the business through ‘four challenging years in this macro-economic climate’.

Meanwhile, Smart’s appointment comes less than a month after Genius Foods secured a £7.5m asset based loan​​ (ABL) from financial services company Shawbrook to support continued growth and improvements at its Bathgate, Scotland factory.

The ABL includes a £5m invoice-financing line, a £1.5m property loan and a £1m cashflow loan over a three-year term. Genius was looking to re-finance an existing invoice finance line and raise additional funds to improve efficiency and production lines in Bathgate.