World: Malteries Soufflet announce new CEO

Six months after the acquisition of UMG, which brought Malteries Soufflet to the helm of the malting industry, Jorge Solis is appointed CEO of the new entity, the world’s leading maltster announced.

Reporting directly to Thierry Blandinières, he will join the InVivo group Executive Committee.

"I am delighted to be able to welcome Jorge Solis as CEO of Malteries Soufflet today. The breadth and diversity of his career in France and abroad are assets that will contribute to the future success of Malteries Soufflet," says Thierry Blandinières, CEO of InVivo.

Jorge Solis brings with him 30 years of experience in large international industrial companies, where he has held management positions, first in Mexico and then in the United States, France and Belgium.

Malteries Soufflet, the world’s leading maltster since the acquisition of UMG, is now present in key markets in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa and Asia, with 41 plants across 20 countries, and an annual production capacity of 3.7 million tonnes of malt, serving industrial and artisanal brewers and distillers.

Jorge Solis' main objective will be to develop both the offer and the target markets, while amplifying the CSR policy enabling Malteries Soufflet to become a leader in the ecological transition on the malt market. He will develop a common culture between the two recently reunited entities, through the implementation of synergies and the deployment of operational excellence.

Jorge Solis holds a master's degree in industrial engineering and another in international marketing, as well as having completed the INSEAD General Management Program in 2010. He began his career in 1994 as a production manager. He joined automotive equipment manufacturer Valeo the following year and remained there for 16 years, serving as Quality Manager for 5 years, then Purchasing Director in Mexico, in the USA and in France. In 2010, he joined the European headquarters of American company WABCO—a supplier of technologies for commercial vehicles—in Brussels, first as Vice President Sourcing & Purchasing, then as Vice President in various other divisions, before becoming President of the Truck, Bus & Car Division from 2016 to 2019. From 2019 to 2023, Jorge Solis was CEO of Belgian gearbox manufacturer Punch Powertrain.

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