Private-equity backed Rise Baking Company has appointed Mark McNeil as its CEO.
McNeil has more than 30 years of experience across retail, foodservice and manufacturing, according to a statement issued by the US baked-goods group yesterday (27 January).
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He was most recently CEO of fellow US snacks and cookie business Shearer’s Foods. McNeil had been chief executive since mid-2021.
Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Bonduelle’s business in the Americas, US private-label drinks manufacturer Lassonde Pappas and Canadian retail giant Loblaw Companies.
At Rise Baking, he takes over from Brian Zellmer, who has led the business as CEO since May 2022.
Zellmer joined the Minneapolis-based baked goods manufacturer from Sweet Harvest Foods in September 2021 as COO.
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By GlobalDataMcNeil said: “Brian and the Rise team have created a powerful platform with tremendous momentum. I look forward to working with our talented employees, customers, and new partners at Platinum Equity and Butterfly to unlock the next phase of growth.”
Rise Baking supplies retail and foodservice customers in the US and Canada with a portfolio that includes cookies, pies, cakes, snack bars and muffins.
Its brand line-up features Brill, South Coast Baking, the Best Maid Cookie Company, Henry & Henry, New French Bakery, Bakestone Brothers and Karp’s.
Since its founding in 2013, the company has expanded through ten acquisitions. The most recent deal was the June 2024 acquisition of Table Talk Pies in Massachusetts. That deal added three manufacturing plants and brought Rise Baking’s number of facilities to 20 across the US and Canada.
The ownership of the business changed in September 2024, when Platinum Equity and Butterfly Equity jointly acquired Rise Baking in an equal partnership from Olympus Partners, which had backed the company since 2018.
Nathan Eldridge, managing director at Platinum Equity, said: “We believe Mark is exactly the kind of leader who can help accelerate Rise’s next chapter. His experience scaling large, complex food businesses, combined with his focus on people, operational excellence, and customer partnerships, aligns perfectly with our ambition to expand Rise both organically and through strategic M&A.”
Vishal Patel, partner at Butterfly Equity, added: “Mark’s track record in driving growth and strengthening organisational capability makes him an exceptional choice to lead the company forward.”
