Jon Jenkins, the former chief of UK-based bakery business Hovis, has been hired by local rival Jacksons Bakery.
Jenkins will join Jacksons, a division of William Jackson Food Group, as managing director on 14 September.
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Group director Adrian Hipkiss will work as interim managing director in the meantime.
Jenkins has more than 30 years of experience in the FMCG sector.
He was CEO of Hovis from October 2022 until September last year, stepping down after another UK baker, Associated British Foods, struck a deal to acquire the business from private-equity firm Endless.
The acquisition, announced in August, remains subject to approval by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. In January, the companies requested the regulator to accelerate the review process of their proposed merger.
The Kingsmill and Sunblest brand owner plans to integrate Allied Bakeries with Hovis to “create a profitable UK bread business that is sustainable over the long term”, after flagging in April that the division was facing a “very challenging market”.
Jenkins also led ABF’s Allied Bakeries division for four years in the late 2010s. His career also includes roles at Mars and dairy group Müller.
Paul Murphy, another ABF veteran, who joined William Jackson Food Group as CEO in April, said: “Jon’s track record speaks for itself. His ability to lead large-scale transformation while strengthening brand and customer partnerships makes him the perfect choice to lead Jackson’s Bakery into its next chapter.”
Jenkins added: “Jacksons Bakery has a rich heritage and I’m excited to work with the team to drive growth, innovation and operational excellence.”
East Yorkshire-based William Jackson Food Group is a sixth-generation family business established in 1851, originating from a grocery shop opened by William Jackson in Hull. It has since expanded its portfolio to encompass food businesses, including Abel & Cole and condiments brand Belazu.
In the financial year ended 26 April, the group’s turnover fell to £332.1m ($445m), resulting in a pre-tax loss of £4.6m. Its EBITDA dropped to £9.7m for the year.
“It was a challenging year for the group, with our Wellocks business having a particularly difficult year due to a challenging foodservice market together with significant disruption as a result of an ERP launch in March 24,” chairwoman Sonya Eastaugh said in the results report earlier this year.
