Pladis has appointed Frankgerald Stepp as chief supply chain officer, with the former Kerry Group executive scheduled to join the snacks manufacturer in January 2027.
The appointment, announced on 12 October 2026, will give Stepp responsibility for the company’s end-to-end supply chain across more than 110 markets. He will succeed Mario Reis, who is retiring at the end of 2026 after almost a decade with the business.
Experience across food manufacturing
Stepp joins from Kerry Group, where he most recently served as chief operations officer of its biotechnology business and global vice president of manufacturing. He previously held senior positions at ARYZTA, Kraft Foods and Mondelēz International.
His experience includes responsibility for operations across Mondelēz’s European snacking business, bringing familiarity with the challenges of manufacturing established food brands across multiple markets.
Pladis said Reis had helped reshape its production network and supply chain capabilities. The planned handover comes as the group continues investing in facilities serving its portfolio, which includes McVitie’s, Ülker and GODIVA.
Managing a global supply network
In recent years, Pladis has invested £68 million across its UK bakeries, expanded capabilities at its Cairo facility and increased production capacity in France. It has also strengthened operations in Türkiye and the United States.
Capital expenditure exceeded £100 million in 2025, with the company identifying capacity, productivity and resilience as key priorities.
Stepp will inherit responsibility for coordinating those investments within a complex international network. For manufacturers operating across several territories, sourcing, production scheduling and logistics can be closely linked, particularly where ingredients, packaging and finished products move between markets.
For equipment suppliers, ingredient businesses and packaging partners, the appointment matters because supply chain leadership influences purchasing priorities and operational coordination. Pladis has not announced specific changes to procurement arrangements or supplier contracts as part of the appointment. The immediate development is a leadership transition as manufacturing investment continues.
