Bel Group Hires Peter McGuinness to Lead North America Business
Cheese brand Bel Group has hired Peter McGuinness as CEO of its North America segment. In the role, he will oversee five Bel manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada and operations for offices in New York City, Chicago and Montreal.
Across those regions, he will lead Bel Group's seven brands — GoGo Squeez, Baby Bel, The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Kaukauna, Merkts and Price's — which have more than 200 product varieties.
The appointment comes at a time when Bel Group is accelerating its strategy to address the nutrition gap in the U.S., stating that most Americans are not eating enough fruits, veggies and dairy to meet nutritional standards.
As such, McGuinness will be tasked with advancing innovation and M&A, strengthening the company's local footprint and building a more sustainable and performance-focused food business.
"North America, and particularly the United States, is a cornerstone of Bel's future," said Cécile Béliot, CEO, Bel Group, in a statement. "Peter is a transformational, values-driven leader whose track record aligns perfectly with Bel's 'two-leg' model — where profitability and sustainability are equally important."
More About McGuinness
McGuinness brings extensive experience as a consumer food executive who has scaled various brands. He was most recently the CEO and president of Impossible Foods, where he helped expand distribution and drive market share growth through product innovation and demand creation.
Before that, he was president and COO for Chobani. During his nine-year tenure, he rose in rank from a chief marketing and brand officer role to drive the company’s evolution from a niche yogurt manufacturer into a diversified wellness brand. He helped pioneer a "demand department" model that unified sales, marketing and R&D, and ultimately oversaw all global operations and supply chain functions, according to LinkedIn.
