Barry Callebaut Appoints New COO

After serving Barry Callebaut for 35 years, of which 10 years as chief operations officer and member of the executive committee, Dirk Poelman has decided to retire at of the company’s fiscal year, August 31.

Over the course of his career, Dirk Poelman worked in various managerial positions and countries before he was appointed to the executive committee in 2009, responsible for the group’s global operations and supply chain organization (OSCO).

The board of directors has appointed Olivier Delaunay, currently vice president OSCO EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), as Dirk Poelman’s successor and member of the executive committee effective September 1. Dirk Poelman will ensure a smooth handover to Olivier Delaunay and stay on board until the end of 2019.

“On behalf of the board of directors and the executive committee, I would like to warmly thank Dirk for 35 years of outstanding commitment and contribution. I am delighted to welcome Olivier Delaunay to the executive committee. Olivier has worked as vice president OSCO for our largest region, EMEA, since 2012. Over the last seven years, he has headed the deep transformation of our OSCO footprint and capabilities in the region, playing a key role in enabling current and future growth in EMEA. Importantly, he has built and grown around him a strong and talented team that lives our company values. I am confident that Olivier will build on Dirk’s legacy and bring our global manufacturing network of over 60 factories to the next level,” said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut.

Group Olivier Delaunay joined Barry Callebaut in 2012 in his current role. From 1987-1994, he had already worked for the Barry Callebaut Group in Cameroon, France, the Netherlands, and the United States.