Puratos has appointed Pierre Tossut as CEO and Cédric van Belle as chairman of the board, effective Jan. 1, 2022. 

Tossut has led high-performing teams throughout his 26-year career at Puratos. He was directly responsible for Puratos’ R&D, marketing, product management and sales divisions and structured the group’s health and well-being approach, a cornerstone of the company since its conception. Prior to this, he led the expansion of the group’s worldwide R&D footprint, heading an international team of 475 people driving research across the globe. 

“The people we work with and Puratos’ singular focus on our client have always been key to our success, and we will ensure that these remain at the center of operations,” Tossut said. “At Puratos, we believe that food has extraordinary power to feed, nourish, celebrate, comfort and unite people of all backgrounds. Food innovation is energy for good, and this is why we constantly strive to extend our positive impact with the creation of pioneering and innovative food solutions that promote health and well-being, and steadily move businesses, customers, people and the planet forward. We have ambitious plans to achieve much more in the coming years, with the clear goal of reaching a €5 billion turnover by 2030.”

Tossut will succeed Daniel Malcorps, who led the company for 20 years. 

“Pierre’s experience in driving innovation makes him the ideal CEO to navigate the company through a new era of innovation, wellbeing, sustainability and company-wide growth,” Malcorps said. “He is a proven business leader, with R&D and innovation in his DNA. He has a great capacity to understand our customers’ needs and an incredible sense for building lasting partnerships all over the world.”

Van Belle was first appointed to the board of the Puratos Group in 2016, as part of the third generation of shareholders. He has been managing the family-owned worldwide network of chocolate museums, Choco-Story, since 2003. He is an active member of several committees within the group and is chairman of the Next Generation Cacao Foundation, a Puratos charity initiative with a mission to contribute to the social, economic and environmental development of cocoa farmers and communities.

“After a thorough selection process, the members of the Board of Directors and the shareholders unanimously elected Cédric as Puratos’ future Chairman of the Board,” said  outgoing chairman Eddy Van Belle. “He has always shown his genuine dedication to cementing the family shareholding with a long-term vision, while having a positive impact on people, the planet and society.”

Cédric Van Belle added: “One of the strengths of family-owned companies like Puratos is thinking in terms of generations rather than quarterly results. This is why we have actively committed to an operating model that goes beyond the creation of economic value and is also sustainable, respectful and balanced. To this end, we are implementing plans to achieve CO2 neutrality, minimize our water usage and reduce waste. Our raw materials are sourced responsibly, and we aim to ensure a safe and stable revenue for farmers. We work in harmony with the communities we are part of, and invest in providing life-changing, educational opportunities in our bakery schools. Furthermore, we are committed to creating a caring working environment for our employees, which welcomes diversity and promotes personal development. I am excited about Puratos’ future and the continued growth of our company.”