Fermentis has appointed Thomas Lesaffre as its new General Manager, effective 1 April 2026.

Lesaffre succeeds Stéphane Meulemans, who led the yeast and fermentation solutions business unit for 12 years. He will report to Brice-Audren Riché, CEO of parent company Lesaffre, and retain his seat on the Lesaffre Executive Committee.

In a statement, Lesaffre said he intended to build on Fermentis’ technical capabilities across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage categories. “As markets grow more dynamic and demanding, it is our technical excellence, cutting-edge research and development, and innovative spirit that will set us apart,” he said.

Lesaffre joins from within the broader Lesaffre group, where he most recently served as director of Marketing for Baking (M4B) and joined the Executive Committee in 2022. Earlier roles included General Manager of Lesaffre Italy and industrial director of Lesaffre Argentina. He holds a degree from the University of Technology de Compiègne and an Executive MBA from INSEAD.