Barry Callebaut announces strategic investment program BC Next Level

 

CEO Peter Feld said: “Our mission is to be the heart and the engine for the global cocoa and chocolate industry. We have delivered robust growth for nearly 25 years. Due to evolving customer demands for more sustainable and innovative products, now is the time to bring the Group to the next level by strategically investing in its future. We will move decision-making closer to our markets and customers while fostering simplicity and digitization to advance our well-recognized innovation and sustainability approach to deliver additional value for all our stakeholders.”
Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of Barry Callebaut’s Board of Directors, added: “With BC Next Level, Barry Callebaut is set to become even more customer focused, agile, and efficient. The Board is convinced that these actions will secure the long-term success of the company and benefit all stakeholders. The management team can count on our full support for the implementation of the action plan presented today.”
The program includes a net investment of CHF 500 m in areas most relevant to customers, such as innovation, service, sustainability, and quality powered by digital platforms that boost speed to market and facilitate deeper partnerships with customers. BC Next Level will be funded from existing financial resources.
The BC Next Level operating model will move Barry Callebaut closer to its markets and customers while implementing globally standardized and digitized processes to further increase growth, profitability, and efficiency. Barry Callebaut will increase its regional footprint from three to five regional divisions – Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa – each encompassing five to six country clusters. This also includes the creation of Barry Callebaut’s new Customer Supply & Development organization to enhance product delivery and scale innovation faster globally, while delivering technical service locally to customers.