Sweet and savoury food supplier and manufacturer Priestley’s Gourmet Delights has appointed Xanny Christophersen as MD and CEO. Previously COO, Christophersen joined the company in 2011. Outgoing CEO Ken Hartley will pursue a new challenge in the food industry, following a tenure of seven years.
From 2017, Christophersen held the position of COO, responsible for manufacturing, supply chain (including raw materials, warehousing, and distribution), and, until recently, sales, marketing, and new product development.
The appointment comes as the company prepares for its next stage of growth, looking to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities to support national expansion.
During her tenure as COO, she accomplished significant growth for the business and played a crucial role during the pandemic, demonstrating agility and experimentation to test ideas rapidly, iterate quickly, and launch minimum viable products and services that enhanced experiences for customers, factories, employees, and products.
Christophersen said there was huge opportunity within the sector and the business to keep innovating and redefining processes and products to support growth into new markets and cater to new tastes.
“The cake business is in my blood. As the niece of the founder, Marilyn Jones, I remember helping her sell cakes from the boot of her car in the early years of Priestley’s. It's a privilege to step into the CEO role, ensuring the continuity of the family business and its focus on high-quality natural local ingredients.
“Priestley’s is a business with strong financial fundamentals that has the potential to become a strong contender in the regional bakery market. I look forward to leading the company through this period of expansion,” said Christophersen.
Priestley’s Gourmet Delights chairman, John O’Hara, said Christophersen was a proven leader who had successfully scaled revenue and operations for the company.
“Her passion for the business and the food service industry is paramount. She has excellent strategic and commercial aptitude to join Priestley at such an exciting time in its history. With Xanny as CEO, the board is confident that we have a leader with deep industry experience, huge ambition, and the proven ability to help us create the most impactful and successful baking business in the world,” said O’Hara.
Christophersen will commence her role as CEO in April 2024.
