Lesaffre Appoints Thomas Lesaffre as General Manager of Fermentis

Lesaffre has named Thomas Lesaffre as General Manager of its Fermentis business unit, which focuses on fermentation and characterisation solutions for the global beverage industry.

He succeeds Stéphane Meulemans, who led Fermentis for 12 years, overseeing a period of sustained growth and international expansion. Thomas Lesaffre will also continue to serve on the group’s Executive Committee.

In his new role, he will be responsible for driving further development of Fermentis across key beverage segments, including beer, wine, spirits, cider and emerging categories such as coffee and non-alcoholic drinks. The company aims to strengthen its position as a technology and innovation partner for beverage producers worldwide.

Fermentis supports a broad customer base ranging from craft producers to large-scale industrial manufacturers, providing yeast, fermentation solutions and technical expertise. Its Fermentis Academy also plays a role in applied research and knowledge transfer across the sector.

Thomas Lesaffre brings more than 20 years of experience within the group, having held operational and leadership roles across multiple international markets, including Turkey, Spain, Argentina and Italy. He most recently served as Director of Marketing for Baking, a role he assumed in 2022 when he joined the Executive Committee.

Lesaffre said the appointment reflects its ambition to reinforce Fermentis’ role in a rapidly evolving beverage market, where demand for innovation, quality and sustainability continues to increase.

Edouard Gestat has been appointed to succeed Thomas Lesaffre as Director of Marketing for Baking.