St Pierre Groupe has announced David Wagstaff as its new managing director, following a buy-out process, which saw the business join the Grupo Bimbo portfolio earlier this year.
Wagstaff, who has led St Pierre’s U.S. operation for more than two years, has been appointed to take the reins immediately. He has more than 30 years of experience in food and drink, holding commercial and management positions with global brands in America, Asia and the U.K.
Wagstaff will continue to be supported by the company’s leadership team, comprised of CFO Paolo Benedetto; CMO Jen Danby; Brett Rhodes as the supply chain director; Muriel Vanoli as the quality and compliance director; and Yann Neveu as the procurement director.
Wagstaff has spent two years at the helm of the U.S. business as VP of North America, bringing French brioche and bakery products to the U.S. marketplace and establishing the brioche category as a staple in the in-store bakery for U.S. retailers.
“St Pierre Groupe is an entrepreneurial business that has achieved phenomenal success, both at home and internationally, using insight to develop brands and products that carry global appeal,” Wagstaff said. “Through its exceptional branded propositions, the business has made St Pierre the biggest brioche brand in America and the U.K.
“All that is down to the fact that we have a stellar team based in the U.K. and U.S. who work hard to create authentic experiences and drive brand awareness for our brands, worldwide. I am pleased to say that the leadership team at St Pierre Groupe remains largely unchanged following the acquisition, allowing us to continue to build the brands and drive growth with the St Pierre spirit for which our company is known.
“Demonstrating an understanding of the global consumer mindset and delivering products that cater to it, is at the heart of everything we do and is, in large part, the reason we have secured such a fantastic result in joining Grupo Bimbo. It’s an incredibly exciting time for our brands and talented team of people, providing access to the right infrastructure and expertize to propel St Pierre and our brands on to even greater success.”
St Pierre Bakery is the leading brand in brioche, with an 18 percent share, however, the brand has increased its share of branded brioche sales with in-store bakery to 71 percent.
