Chef Holdings makes leadership change, names new CEO

Chef Holdings, parent company of CTI Foods and Liguria Foods, has made a leadership change. Terence O’Brien succeeded Mike Buccheri as CEO on May 10.

Buccheri was appointed CEO of Chef Holdings and its subsidiary entities in May 2019 and overseen growth in the product development company’s facility and product portfolio.

“My work for CTI has been an extraordinary experience,” Buccheri said in a news release. “I have been fortunate to benefit from so many incredible team members on our lines, in our plants, and leading our functions from here in Southlake. As I depart to pursue the next chapter of my career, I know that the CTI team is set up to continue to thrive under Terry’s leadership going forward.”

O’Brien’s nearly 40 years of food industry experience include senior leadership roles at Dean Foods and Frito-Lay, as well as a stint as CEO at Brach’s Confections. He most recently led CP Foods North America, a frozen foods platform for co-manufacturing, private brands and custom foodservice foods. As CEO, he doubled the revenue of the business and lead its financial and operational turnaround, according to the release.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join CTI Foods and its parent company,” O’Brien said. “I applaud the huge strides the company has made since 2019. I look forward to continuing to support CTI’s customer base as our primary focus and to supporting the continued growth of this industry-leading company.”

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, CTI provides custom food solutions to foodservice, retail, industrial, and co-manufacturing customers, including raw, pre-cooked and fully cooked protein, dry sausage, soups sauces, and dehydrated beans. The company operates six state-of-the-art food processing facilities and has over 1,500 employees across its Idaho, Iowa, California, Kentucky and Texas locations.

“Mike has been an asset and incredible leader for CTI’s turnaround, navigating COVID, and putting this company on the path to greater growth,” board chair Jim Clough said. “We thank him for his service over the past four years and we wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

“We know Terry is going to be a difference maker. Terry’s experience across the food manufacturing industry and extensive experience at the helm of similar companies are going to make a very positive immediate impact for CTI’s customers and team.”