Caroli recruits former CEO of JTI

Charcuterie producer Caroli Foods, one of the top three players on the market, has appointed Haluk Akdemir, the former executive manager of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) to the position of CEO of the company. Talal El-Solh, the former general manager of Caroli Foods, and one of the company’s shareholders, has decided to preserve only the position of chairman of the group. “The company has seen an upward trend over the course of time, reaching a development level at the beginning of this year which requires professional management and an entrepreneurial spirit, qualities which we managed to find in Haluk Akdemir. Given this change, I will continue to explore new opportunities on the Romanian market and on neighbouring markets, both in our field of activity and in other areas of interest,” said Talal El-Solh, chairman of the Caroli Foods group. Caroli Foods posted a 47.3 million-euro turnover in the first half of this year, up 31% against the same time in 2006, following the inclusion of the Maestro brand in the company’s product portfolio.