Bonduelle appoints a new CEO with solid American experience

The French specialist in canned and frozen vegetables Bonduelle announced Monday the arrival at its general management of Xavier Unkovic, with an experience of more than 20 years in North America, where the group is experiencing difficulties. “This appointment will take effect on June 1, 2023. Until this date, the general management will be provided by Christophe Bonduelle, chairman of the board of directors”, according to a press release from the family business based in the north of France.

Xavier Unkovic "displays 30 years of experience in the service of consumer business development in the American, European and Asian markets", underlines the group. His American experience began in 2000, when he took over as general manager of Royal Canin (animal feed) in the United States and then in Canada. From 2010, he headed the Beverages branch of the Mars food group for North America, then for the world from 2013.

In 2017, he took over the presidency and general management of Amy's Kitchen, a Californian company which markets a range of organic prepared meals, a company "which he straightened out and developed", welcomed Christophe Bonduelle, who represents the 6th generation. of Bonduelle at the head of the company created in 1853. Since 2021, Xavier Unkovic has been managing director of the French company specializing in skin care NAOS, known in particular for its Bioderma brand.

In early May, the parent company of the Bonduelle and Cassegrain brands announced the departure of its managing director Guillaume Debrosse, a cousin by marriage of Christophe Bonduelle appointed five years earlier and who had notably worked for L'Oréal and in the telecoms sector. In March, Bonduelle had indicated that its activity outside Europe suffered in particular from loss of contracts and an “agronomic crisis” in North America, with the key to a lack of products and an increase in purchase prices.

The group then announced a reorganization of its activities in the United States and indicated that it wished to entrust the general management of the group to a leader "rich in experience of the North American market and consumer products". For its staggered 2021-22 financial year, Bonduelle recorded a 38% drop in its net profit, to 35.4 million euros, weighed down by inflation and the difficulties of its activities in North America, where it achieves more 45% of its 2.9 billion euros in turnover.