VION Changes Organisational Model

The divisional structure which had been used since July 2006 was no longer sufficiently aligned with the regional dimensions and the rapid developments on the various markets.

23/03/09 VION will adapt its organisation according to a business model with regional control for two core activities Food and Ingredients. This was occasioned by the acquisition of the Grampian Country Food Group in the UK in August 2008 and the change in the composition of the Executive Board which was announced in November 2008. VION’s new organisation and business model will come into effect on 19 March 2009. This will replace the divisional structure which has been in place since July 2006.

Food company VION has two core activities: Food and Ingredients. In the new organisational structure both activities have been anchored at Executive Board level in order to guarantee the synergy between both activities. Organising the two core activities at regional level enables VION to operate as close as possible to the markets of clients and suppliers. The divisional structure which had been used since July 2006 was no longer sufficiently aligned with the regional dimensions and the rapid developments on the various markets. VION has an annual turnover of € 9.6 billion and employs 35,500 staff worldwide.

The new model with its two, regionally focused core activities is in line with the company’s strategy. Central to VION’s strategy is customer intimacy. Operational excellence, product leadership and sustainability are the pillars that support the strategy. In line with its philosophy, the Executive Board’s new model gives the operational companies more space to operate efficiently and effectively given the current market dynamics.