Sara Lee Frozen Bakery appointed Peter Laport as CEO, succeeding Craig Bahner, who is stepping down from his role, the Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois-based frozen baked goods manufacturer announced Feb. 23.
Laport brings more than three decades of experience leading consumer and food businesses across North America and global markets. He is recognized for building resilient organizations, aligning teams around clear strategy and execution, and earning customer trust while driving responsible growth.
“Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is a trusted brand with talented people and products that matter in everyday moments,” Laport said.
“I’m honored to work alongside this talented team to build on the company’s solid foundation, strengthen our culture and customer relationships, and drive preference among consumers and foodservice customers by delivering consistent quality and trusted performance.”
Focus on leadership, operations and customer partnerships
Laport will lead the company’s next phase of growth with a focus on strengthening leadership and culture, deepening customer partnerships, and advancing operational excellence and quality, in collaboration with owner Kohlberg, a Mount Kisco, New York-based private equity firm.
Most recently, Laport served as CEO of Arctic Glacier Premium Ice, where he led a transformation that strengthened leadership, improved performance and positioned the company for long-term value creation. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Bakkavor USA, Ready Pac Foods/Bonduelle Fresh Americas, Dunkin’ Brands, Revlon and Nestlé.
“Peter brings a rare combination of enterprise leadership, operational discipline and a people-centered approach to Sara Lee Frozen Bakery,” said Gus Harwood, partner at Kohlberg.
“His ability to align strategy, teams and execution makes him exceptionally well suited to spearhead the company’s exciting next chapter. We are grateful to Craig for the role he has played in positioning the business for long-term success and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Bahner led company since 2018 acquisition
Bahner led Sara Lee Frozen Bakery since 2018, when Kohlberg acquired the business from Tyson Foods. The acquisition included the Sara Lee, Van’s, Chef Pierre and Bistro Collection brands.
“It has been a privilege to lead Sara Lee Frozen Bakery over the past eight years,” Bahner said. “I am proud of the strong operational foundation the team has set and am confident in the company’s future success under Peter’s leadership.”
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery offers a wide variety of pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, muffins and more for foodservice establishments, retail supermarket bakeries and in-store bakery programs. The company’s brand portfolio includes Sara Lee, Chef Pierre, Van’s, Bistro Collection, Superior on Main and Cyrus O’Leary’s.
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