Former Mondelez International senior confectionery executive  Thomas Gaengler has been named by Barry Callebaut as its new chief operating officer, writes Neill Barston.

The experienced industry practitioner succeeds Clemens Woehrle from next week, having amassed three decades of industry knowledge in  supply chain, procurement and operations.

Most recently, he served as SVP, End-to-End Supply Chain, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (AMEA) where he worked closely with regional business units to drive alignment, strengthen collaboration and deliver impact. For the last four years, Thomas led Mondelez’ Procurement as Global Chief Procurement Officer, applying an expansive career’s experience to the role, having gained a master’s degree in chemical and food engineering from the Technical University Brno, Czech Republic.

Hein Schumacher, CEO of Barry Callebaut welcomed him to the business, which has undergone a notable period of re-adjustment in recent years, as it grapples with supply chain challenges.

He said: “I am delighted to welcome Thomas to Barry Callebaut. Thomas will help lead the next phase of our journey, with a continued focus on customer-centricity, operational excellence, and strengthening our position as the world’s leading chocolate and cocoa solutions partner. His global leadership experience in the sector and ability to build strong partnerships across the organization will be invaluable as we continue to execute our Focus for Growth priorities.”