Our Executive Team

Group Leadership

Ronald Kers

GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Ronald Kers joined Valeo Foods Group as Group CEO in June 2023. Ronald brings a wealth of experience to Valeo Foods Group as a proven leader in the European food space following successful periods at both Muller Group, and most recently 2 Sisters Food Group where he held the CEO role for 5 years and was responsible for a significant business transformation. Ronald has a uniquely broad set of capabilities that span category, geography, and a deep operational skillset, which position him incredibly well to drive the next stage of Valeo Foods’ evolution.

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Louis-Francois Gombert

Chief Financial Officer

Louis Francois joined Valeo Foods Group as Group CFO in July 2023. Louis-Francois brings a wealth of experience to Valeo Foods Group as a seasoned senior Finance leader, having worked successfully as CFO, Chief Legal and Chief Transformation Officer at Suntory Beverage & Food for more than 10 years and more recently for over 3 years as Chief Finance, Legal and Operating Officer at PE backed HAVEA Group. His combined skillset will be of great value to Valeo Foods’ growth and transformation agenda going forward and to the total finance team and talent across the group to further develop the function.

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Eveline Paternotte

CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER

Eveline Paternotte joined Valeo Foods as Chief People Officer, bringing a wealth of experience in talent development, culture strategy, organisational effectiveness and change management to the Group. Eveline has an extensive track record in the food & beverage sector having held HR leadership roles internationally with PepsiCo, SABMiller and ForFarmers.

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Thibaut Eissautier

CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER

Thibaut Eissautier is Chief Procurement Officer of Valeo Foods where he is responsible for all aspects of the Group’s global procurement activities. Thibaut has deep expertise across the food and beverage sector globally having held multiple senior executive positions across the industry, including the role of Group Chief Procurement Officer at Pladis, Diageo Plc, and Mcbride Plc, where he was also Group Chief R&D Officer.

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Ronak Mashru

GROUP CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Ronak Mashru joined Valeo Foods Group as Group Chief Commercial Officer in June 2025, bringing over 20 years of experience in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Prior to joining Valeo, he served as Vice President for Europe at Glanbia Performance Nutrition, where he led a successful commercial transformation and growth strategy. Ronak has also held senior commercial roles at Red Bull, Diageo, and Procter & Gamble.

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Hans Saettele

GROUP CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Hans Saettele joined Valeo Foods Group as Group Chief Information Officer in October 2024. He brings over 25 years of IT experience, having led process improvements and enterprise application initiatives across numerous global blue-chip companies. Hans has focused on transforming business and IT processes for mid-sized companies, driving greater efficiency and performance. Most recently, he led major process and IT modernisation initiatives at Schunk Group and Körber AG.

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Avanti Patel

GROUP HEAD OF M&A AT VALEO FOODS

Avanti Patel is Group Head of M&A at Valeo Foods where she leads the Group’s global acquisition programme. Avanti has a proven track record of identifying highly complementary acquisition targets and managing complex transaction processes, having held similar roles with Tate & Lyle, DS Smith and Thomas Cook Group previously.

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Matt Nicholas

GROUP TRANSFORMATION DIRECTOR

Matt Nicholas joined Valeo Foods Group as Group Transformation Director in October 2024. Matt brings over 15 years’ experience working in strategy consulting, most recently at OC&C Strategy Consultants. Specialising in FMCG, he demonstrates extensive expertise in strategy development and execution, M&A integration, and operating and business model transformation.

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Grainne O’Halloran

GROUP HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY

Grainne O’Halloran has been with Valeo Foods Group since its inception in 2010 and was appointed Group Head of Sustainability in 2023. Throughout her tenure, she has held senior leadership roles across technical, manufacturing, and transformation functions, equipping her with a deep understanding of the business. This breadth of experience positions Grainne strongly to lead and accelerate Valeo Foods’ sustainability agenda.

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Divisional Leadership

Kevin Moore

UK CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Kevin Moore joined Valeo Foods as UK CEO in June 2023 from Greencore, where he spent 25 years, most recently as Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer. Kevin started with J Sainsbury as a Graduate Trainee, where he spent 10 years. Kevin had two years in consultancy with Cap Gemini and has held a number of NED positions across a variety of industries since 2012. He is a dynamic, strategic and results focused leader, with a track record of delivering success in highly competitive, multi-site and fast-moving FMCG markets.

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John Heffernan

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VALEO FOODS IRELAND

John Heffernan is Managing Director of Valeo Foods Ireland having joined from Aryzta AG where he was Chief Commercial Officer in North America. Before that he was Chief Strategy Officer for the overall Aryzta business. John has a strong track record across business transformation, sustainability and innovation in a multinational environment and is particularly experienced in the development and implementation of corporate strategy having spent a number of years as Chief Development Officer for DAA, Ireland’s airport operator.

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Lukas Werner

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - GERMANY, AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND

Lukas Werner joined Valeo Foods - Germany, Austria & Switzerland as Chief Executive Officer in April 2024. With over 30 years of experience managing food companies, he has developed deep expertise in operations and organisational transformation. His career spans multinational corporations such as Unilever and Barilla, as well as family-owned businesses. He has been instrumental in navigating complex organisational challenges, driving transformation, reducing costs and streamlining internal processes.

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Alberto Alfieri

CEO, VALEO FOODS ITALY

Alberto Alfieri is CEO of Valeo Foods Italy having joined the company in 2017 from the Fiorucci food group where he served as CEO. Prior to that, Alberto held various leadership roles in a number of FMCG companies across continental Europe including positions as CEO of Danone and Parmalat in Italy.

Martin Bernard

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - NORTH AMERICA

Martin Bernard joined Valeo Foods - North America as Chief Executive Officer in May 2022 when Valeo Food Group acquired Les Industries Bernard & Fils Ltée. With over 20 years of experience in the company founded by his family and in the food industry, he now leads the business to drive continued growth and reinforce its leadership in the maple sector. Martin possesses unparalleled expertise in the maple industry and a deep understanding of the North American food market.

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