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Granarolo chairman Gianpiero Calzolari has stepped down after 17 years at the helm of the Italian food group.
In a statement, the cooperative said Calzolari is resigning to “facilitate the generational handover upon reaching the age of 70”. He has led Granarolo since 2009.
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“These have been years of great commitment on all fronts; we have focused on innovation and internationalisation,” Calzolari said.
The Granarolo board has appointed Stanislao Giuseppe Fabbrino as chairman. Fabbrino already sits on the boards of Granarolo and Granlatte, the group’s controlling shareholder.
Fabbrino has been chairman and chief executive of Italian agricultural cooperative Fruttagel since 2011.
Since 2022, Fabbrino has also worked as CEO and managing director of consumer goods cooperative Deco Industrie, Granarolo said.
“It is an honour for me to take on a role of such great responsibility,” Fabbrino said, adding that Granarolo’s goal will be to create value through “economic, environmental and social sustainability over time”.
The leadership change came alongside the release of Granarolo’s 2025 financial results. During the year, the group reported consolidated revenue of €1.81bn ($2.13bn), compared to €1.72bn a year earlier.
Like-for-like sales, excluding currency effects, rose 5.2%, driven mainly by growth in international markets and price increases.
EBITDA reached €100.5m, up 5.5% on 2024. However, Granarolo’s EBIT and net profit fell last year. EBIT dropped 13.8% to €28.2m. Net profit slid 43.3% to €5.5m.
Granarolo said Italy remained its largest market, accounting for 60% of revenue, while Europe represented 33% and non-European markets 7%.
In October, Granarolo acquired UK distributor West Horsley Dairy to “strengthen” its business in the country.
At the time, Calzolari said: “Consolidation in the UK is an important part of the group’s growth policy abroad.
“The plan is to significantly increase the volume of Italian dairy products in the UK, focusing on the horeca and foodservice markets in London, where West Horsley has consolidated its presence.”
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Dining and Cooking