Amid a period of notable growth for the Australian and New Zealand confectionery sector, Ferrero has named Terence Viney as its new general manager for the territory, writes Neill Barston.

The company, which is set to play a significant part in our World Confectionery Conference this September, has seen its global profile continue to rise outside of its founding European markets, with the company enjoying notable expansion in the US.

Within Australia in particular, which has a rising confectionery market valued at around $4 billion according to sector analysis from GlobalData, Viney, will lead its operations in the region, having gained a total of 15 years experience working for Ferrero. 

As the company noted, both Australia and New Zealand have proved strong territories for the business in Asia Pacific, supported by the Lithgow manufacturing site in New South Wales, which produces Nutella for domestic and export markets across the region.

Regarding his own experiences, Terrence started out working ‘down under’ before holding senior leadership positions across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, most recently as General Manager of its Israeli division.

Moreover, he will lead its core brands including  Rocher, Kinder, Nutella and Tic Tac, while supporting expansion beyond its core confectionery range into ice cream, biscuits and better-for-you categories.

Notably, the new Australian and New Zealand company boss succeeds Massimo D’Ambrosio, who now moves to a new role within the Ferrero Group in the United States.

Terence enthused: “Returning to Australia is a real privilege, and I’m proud to take on this role at such an important time for the business. We have a strong team with clear momentum, and I look forward to building on that foundation.

“We continue to focus on bringing moments of joy to Australians through brands they know and trust, while expanding into new categories and consumption occasions. We will remain disciplined in our approach to innovation and sustainable growth, with a clear focus on delivering long-term value for our retail partners – and more moments of joy for all those who love our products.”

Jerome Gray, Managing Director – Ferrero Asia Pacific, welcomed the new general manager to his post.

He said: “Australia and New Zealand play a critical role in Ferrero’s broader Asia Pacific strategy, with Australia also serving as an important regional manufacturing hub.

“With more than 30 years of FMCG experience and senior Ferrero leadership across multiple international markets, Terence returns to Australia bringing a global perspective and local understanding required to drive continued growth.”