ZIMT Partners portfolio company BFP Wholesale Limited [BFP], a UK national wholesaler of bakery ingredients, has appointed Bill Thurston as Chief Executive.
Thurston has over three decades of experience in the manufacturing and distribution sectors with a strong track record in achieving strategic business growth, margin and customer service improvement in mature and developing markets.
He joins BFP from the Alshaya Group, where he was Vice President of the Food Division. Previously he was Chief Executive of Langmead Farms, a salad and vegetable producing company, and Managing Director of Vion Food Group’s International Division for Fresh Meat with responsibility for the UK, Middle East, India and the Far East. In the bakery ingredients sector Bill has held senior positions at international manufacturing and distributing firms Dawn Foods and CSM Bakery Supplies.
The new appointment follows BFP’s acquisition by David Burresi and Sebastian Sipp, co-founders of ZIMT Partners, in July 2014 with the goal of growing the company, improving customer service and competitiveness. Since the acquisition, BFP has successfully decoupled from Lesaffre, its former conglomerate owner, made several investments into its warehousing and distribution systems and strengthened its senior management team. As a result, BFP is better placed to serve its customers and achieve significant growth.
Burresi says: “Bill is an exceptional leader with an extensive track record and we are delighted to welcome him to BFP. His experience will be invaluable to the successful implementation of our investment plan that sees the introduction of new people, processes and technology.”
Bill Thurston, Chief Executive of BFP, says: “It is an exciting time to be joining BFP under the ownership of ZIMT. We have significant plans for the growth of the business and to further build on the relationships with both new and existing customers.”
