ChocXO and Chewters Chocolates have named Peter Higgins as president. 

In this role, Higgins will be responsible for continuing to build people-first teams, bolstering ChocXO’s direct-to-consumer business, and growing distribution to develop deep customer connections.

“My passion for chocolate dates back to my childhood where I have fond memories of making chocolate fudge with my father,” Higgins said. “To this day I can recall the pure chocolate magic that comes from those emotions, family connections, and memories that chocolate brings up. My excitement to lead ChocXO, a brand that evokes the same positive feelings, and help chocolate lovers around the world realize they can have better-for-you chocolate with low sugar and an amazing taste is a dream come true.

Prior to joining ChocXO, Higgins cultivated chocolate experience and expertise through his role as president and chocolate scientist with Purdys Chocolatier, where he worked for two decades. 

Additionally, Higgins has been a member of the World Cocoa Foundation, on the board of the BC Food Processors, the Vancouver Board of Trade and served on the Retail Council of Canada, including years of leading as chair. 

Higgins has traveled around the world, studying chocolate in dozens of countries, which has fueled his passion for the industry. He launched sustainable cocoa programs working with cocoa farmers in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire, where he developed a thorough understanding of the agriculture, farming and processing of cocoa. Higgins has shared this knowledge by teaching the science of chocolate through mainstream media and social media.

“I’ve known and admired Peter for his success in the chocolate and business world myself for quite some time, and to be able to now work together with him is an honor and a privilege,” said Richard Foley, founder and CEO, ChocXO and Chewters Chocolates. “Peter has a strong passion for chocolate and a wealth of experience in product research and development, establishing a sustainable cocoa program, chocolate manufacturing operations, and he has a deep knowledge and passion for selling, brand building, and marketing of chocolate. Most importantly, he is a strong leader with an outstanding managerial acumen, which makes him the perfect fit for the next chapter of the company.”