Allen Shiver, president of US baker Flowers Foods, has been named the company’s new CEO.
Shiver, who has spent over three decades at Flowers, will replace George Deese in May. Deese, also Flowers chairman, will become executive chairman. Flowers said the changes were “consistent with the company’s management succession plan”.
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Flowers is looking to expand its reach across the US. It has two deals lined up to help boost its presence – a bid to buy Hostess Brands’ bread operations and its proposed acquisition of Sara Lee’s Earthgrains business in California.
“With pending acquisitions and market expansions currently underway, we expect to surpass our 2016 goal of reaching 75 percent of the US population with our fresh baked foods three years ahead of schedule,” Shiver said. “Even so, we will have significant growth opportunities in our new markets and in our core territories for years to come.”
Deese, who joined Flowers 48 years ago as a salesperson in Alabama, said it was “a time of exciting opportunities” at the company. He added: “My role as executive chairman is to ensure that our strategic direction is sound and that Flowers’ culture – what defines our team as unique in our industry – remains strong so we can continue to build value for our shareholders.”
