IFCO Announces New Management in Southern Europe
14th May 2018
IFCO, provider of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for fresh foods, has appointed new management in its southern Europe region following the decision of Manuel Montero Lopez, the current VP Southern Europe and general manager of IFCO Spain, to retire at the end of this financial year. Pierre-Olivier Blanchard (pictured), currently country manager France at IFCO, has been promoted to the position of VP Southern Europe on 1st May 2018. Blanchard has been with the company since 2005 and will continue to manage the French operation as part of his expanded duties. A new recruit, Lucia Aragones, will be moving into the position of country manager Spain on 4th June 2018.
Pierre-Olivier Blanchard will be focusing on maintaining and expanding IFCO’s position of market leadership throughout southern Europe, which includes Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey, while continuing to manage the business in France. He has grown the business significantly by winning many large retailers, turning IFCO into the clear market leader in France.
IFCO is also the clear market leader in Spain, with its illustrious retailer customer list. This provides an excellent springboard for Lucia Aragones, who is joining IFCO on 4th June from chocolate manufacturer Ludwig Weinrich, where she has been responsible for developing all aspects of the Spanish market. Prior to Weinrich, she was an independent consultant for four years, following seven years at STECO, which was acquired by IFCO in 2008. Here, Aragones spearheaded the rapid growth of the Spanish market, making STECO Spain the largest subsidiary of STECO International by a wide margin. Her previous career also includes successes at CHEP and ARC Eurobanan.