Baker has moved across from elsewhere in the business, where he most recently was responsible for leading Ferrero’s operations in the Asia Pacific region.
With more than 30 years of experience in the confectionery industry, Barker has worked at Ferrero for the past two decades, serving in managing director roles in the Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and North Asia regions.
Previous UK and Ireland managing director Philippe Steyaert has since moved on to become chief business officer at Ferrero’s central office in Luxembourg.
Steyaert worked in the role between September 2021 and August 2024, with Barker taking up his new position in January according to his LinkedIn page.
“I started my journey with Ferrero as a dales director in the UK 20 years ago, and am pleased to be returning to the region at such a dynamic time,” Barker said.
“Ferrero UK & Ireland continues to grow with strong brands, product innovation and expansion into new categories. I look forward to working alongside the talented team to continue to bring joy to our customers with our iconic brands.”
Meanwhile, Steyaert thanked the UK and Ireland team for their hard work under his leadership over the past three-plus years.
“I am very proud of what we have achieved together, and I am confident that under Craig’s leadership, Ferrero UK and Ireland will continue to thrive and grow,” he added.
“I look forward to seeing his and the team’s success.”
Ferrero is a family-owned global company that has operated in the UK since 1966. It employs more than 47,000 people around the world and owns brands such as Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher.
In related snacking news, Pladis has appointed David Jones as its vice president for quality and food safety on an interim basis.
Jones joined the global snacking firm earlier this month and will be responsible for quality and food safety across the entire business.
