Edouard Gestat appointed as Lesaffre Baking Marketing Director to drive global bakery innovation
Gestat succeeds Thomas Lesaffre, who has been nominated to lead Fermentis, the group’s business unit focused on beverages and fermentation for the wine, beer, and spirits industries.
FRANCE – Lesaffre Group, the world’s leading yeast and baking ingredients specialist, has appointed industry veteran Edouard Gestat as Group Baking Marketing Director for its Baking with Lesaffre division, taking over the role previously held by Thomas Lesaffre.
Gestat succeeds Thomas Lesaffre, who transitions to General Manager of Fermentis, the group’s beverage fermentation unit, signaling a strategic leadership refresh amid surging global demand for premium bakery solutions.
Gestat brings 24 years of expertise in food ingredients, encompassing technical development, sales, marketing, and general management.
Gestat succeeds Thomas Lesaffre, who has been nominated to lead Fermentis, the group’s business unit focused on beverages and fermentation for the wine, beer, and spirits industries.
Before Lesaffre, he spent 13 years at Kerry Group, honing skills in functional ingredients.
Joining Lesaffre in 2011 as General Manager of Biospringer France, based in Maisons-Alfort, for five years, and in 2016 as General Manager of Biospringer North America, based in Milwaukee, USA.
By 2022, he was appointed Global Marketing Director for Baking Ingredients, then, in 2025, Marketing Director for Baking Products, overseeing baking yeast, ingredients, and sourdough portfolios.
Now reporting to CEO Brice-Audren Riché, Gestat leads a team of bakers and experts, leveraging more than 50 Baking Centers™ worldwide to deliver tailored yeasts, sourdoughs, improvers, mixes, and premixes for artisanal, industrial, foodservice, and retail clients.
“I am honoured to build upon the development and achievements of Thomas Lesaffre,” stated Gestat.
“Indeed, Baking with Lesaffre’s unparalleled expertise in fermentation is a true competitive advantage as we are reinforcing our position as an essential partner for the global bakery industry. In an ever-evolving market with rising consumer demands, it is our technical mastery, pioneering R&D, and innovative mindset that will distinguish us – not only in traditional baking, but also in pioneering new frontiers.”
This vision aligns with trends like clean-label doughs, extended shelf life, and plant-based adaptations in the global baking market.
Gestat’s mandate emphasizes sustainability, automation, and health-focused innovations, from high-fibre mixes to frozen dough optimisers, amid labour shortages and regulatory pressures such as EU clean labelling.
His cross-continental experience positions Lesaffre to accelerate growth in North America and Asia, where artisan trends and industrial scale-up converge.
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