Bel Group names Peter McGuinness CEO of Bel North America

Bel Group has named Peter McGuinness as Chief Executive Officer of Bel North America, placing a seasoned consumer food executive in charge of one of the company’s most important regions as it accelerated growth and advanced its Purpose Full Snacking strategy.

• Bel Group named Peter McGuinness as CEO of Bel North America, overseeing operations across the United States and Canada.
• The role covered offices in New York, Chicago, and Montreal, along with five manufacturing plants across the region.
• McGuinness previously served as CEO of Impossible Foods and as president and COO of Chobani.

McGuinness assumed responsibility for Bel North America’s regional operations, spanning offices in New York City, Chicago, and Montreal, as well as five manufacturing facilities across the USA and Canada. He took on leadership of Bel’s North American portfolio of seven brands and more than 200 product varieties, with a mandate that included accelerating growth, advancing mergers and acquisitions, strengthening the company’s local footprint, and driving innovation across its snacking categories.

The appointment came at a moment when Bel continued to sharpen its focus on North America as a cornerstone of its long-term strategy. The region, and particularly the USA, represented a key growth market for the group as it sought to expand its presence in portion-sized fruit, vegetable, and cheese snacks.

Cécile Béliot, Chief Executive Officer of Bel Group, said North America played a central role in the company’s future plans. “North America, and particularly the United States, is a cornerstone of Bel’s future,” she said. “Peter is a transformational, values-driven leader whose track record aligns perfectly with Bel’s two-leg model, where profitability and sustainability are equally important. His appointment reflected our confidence in the strength of Bel North America, our Purpose Full Snacking ambition, and our belief that performance and responsibility go hand in hand.”

McGuinness brought experience spanning consumer brand leadership, manufacturing operations, and organizational scale-up within purpose-driven food companies. Most recently, he served as president and chief executive officer of Impossible Foods, where he led the company through a period of expanded distribution and market share growth driven by product innovation and demand creation.

Before joining Impossible Foods, McGuinness held the role of president and chief operating officer at Chobani. During his tenure, he helped scale the business beyond its core yogurt offering into a broader, diversified food brand, while expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening supply chain operations.

At Bel, McGuinness joined as the company continued to push forward its Purpose Full Snacking strategy, which aimed to reshape how consumers approached everyday snacking. The strategy focused on encouraging more intentional snacking choices centered on fruit, vegetable, and dairy-based products, responding to dietary patterns in the US where most Americans snacked daily but studies showed that around 80% were not consuming enough fruits, vegetables, and dairy to meet nutritional guidelines.

“Bel’s mission-led model, rooted in 160 years of innovation and entrepreneurship, was inspiring, unique, and special,” McGuinness said. “I was excited to accelerate Purpose Full Snacking across North America and beyond, making it easier for people to snack more intentionally and deliciously with fruit, vegetable, and cheese options that bring nourishment and joy, and maybe a laugh or two along the way.”