TAVOLA GROUP

Company background

Backed by Swiss-based investor Verium AG, Tavola Group is one of Europe’s leading producers of fresh, Mediterranean appetizers for well-known retailers, discounters, wholesalers and fine food specialists. It’s composed of two companies which are active in different markets with complementing product lines.
 
Ceposa AG focuses on premium, handmade antipasti, while Frische & Service GmbH has its core competence in high-quality, efficient volume production. Combined, Tavola Group achieves a turnover of approx. CHF50m and employs more than 260 people across two production sites in Wiesentheid, Germany and Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.

The brief

As a basis for future growth, the Board required a Group CEO. The role would be two-fold: to take overall responsibility for Frische & Service and to oversee Tavola Group, in particular identifying and leveraging synergies between the two companies and driving market expansion regionally and internationally.
 
The ideal candidate would be an entrepreneurial, industry-experienced manager with a track record of success from a company of comparable structure and complexity. Commercial skills, operational strength and experience of transformation and growth in regional and international markets was also important.

The process

Directorbank’s Dorothea Kronenberghs was recommended to Verium AG and following briefing discussions she was invited to fulfil the assignment. Supported by her research colleague Marie Meurer, she conducted a well-structured and thorough search process covering comparable and adjacent sectors. Six strong candidates were introduced quickly to the Verium team culminating in the successful appointment of Peter Halder.

Result

Peter is the perfect solution for Tavola Group. Entrepreneurial and operationally-driven with interests in private equity, he brings proven experience in transformation and growth from an equivalent SME environment – previously he was Managing Director Operations for Dahlhoff Feinkost GmbH, a high-quality fresh delicatessen specialist with several production sites, operations in both Germany and Austria and approx. 280 employees.