Me and My Factory
2.Frank
Having first trained as an engineer, Bird first moved into the bakery sector in 2000 when he joined Kate’s Cakes.
While at the firm, he moved from engineering into logistics, which eventually led him into an operations role – but not before a stint in sales as well.
“The new owner was looking for someone who knew the business and product range well, and when I jokingly said that sounded like me, they offered me a role in sales,” Bird explains.
“By 2009, however, I realised that sales wasn’t really me – my heart was in operations.”
After short-term contracts at a couple of small bakeries, Bird was introduced to Délifrance UK md Ian Dobbie in 2011, and as he says, “the rest is history”.
In his time at Délifrance, Bird says his role has become ever-more strategic. Central to his job has been to deliver Renaissance – the investment project undertaken by NutriXo, Délifrance’s French owner, to develop the bread line with modern equipment.