The Appointment
Bauducco, the Brazilian baked goods group that commands an 86% value share of the U.S. panettone category, has named Jean-Pierre Comte Chief Executive Officer for North America, effective immediately. Comte steps in with more than 30 years of fast-moving consumer goods experience, most recently as President of Rana Meal Solutions, where he directed U.S. and Canadian operations.
Prior to Rana, Comte spent nearly a decade at Barilla leading the Americas region across multiple countries and brand portfolios. Earlier career experience at Procter & Gamble rounded out a track record the company says spans brand building, portfolio innovation, and large-scale team development. He holds a Master's Degree in Political Science from Institut d'Études Politiques in Grenoble and is a graduate of NEOMA Business School in France.
Leadership Restructuring
Coupled with Comte's hire, Bauducco has elevated Stefano Mozzi to CEO of Pandatura Group, the parent entity that houses the Bauducco, Casa Bauducco, Ellece Logística, Visconti, and Tommy brands. Mozzi, who previously led Bauducco's International Business Unit, brings more than 30 years in consumer goods and 16 years specifically within Bauducco's global operations. In his new remit, Mozzi will oversee the group's next growth phase and accelerate its internationalization strategy.
"Jean-Pierre is exactly the leader Bauducco needs at this critical juncture in our North American journey," Mozzi said. "His track record demonstrates consistent excellence in brand building, portfolio innovation, customer relationships, and team development — skills that are fundamental to accelerating Bauducco's expansion in an increasingly competitive U.S. market."
For his part, Comte described the appointment as an opportunity to build on a brand with 75 years of global heritage. The executive's combination of pasta-category and broader packaged-foods experience at scale gives Bauducco a profile well suited to navigating a retail landscape increasingly crowded with imported and premium baked goods.
Manufacturing Capacity
The leadership reshuffle arrives alongside a significant capital commitment: Bauducco's newly opened manufacturing facility in Zephyrhills, Florida spans 160,000 square feet and is expected to employ more than 600 workers at full production. The plant represents the company's largest U.S. production footprint to date and, critically, brings panettone manufacturing onshore for the first time — a move designed to shorten lead times and improve supply chain responsiveness ahead of the peak holiday selling season.
The domestic production expansion is strategically significant. Bauducco exports to more than 50 countries and has operated in the U.S. market for over two decades, building a national retail presence across major chains. Adding local panettone capacity allows the company to compete more aggressively on price, freshness, and shelf availability — variables that matter acutely in a gifting category where import logistics have historically constrained margins. The company is also the leading wafer producer in the U.S. nationally, with cookies and toasts rounding out a portfolio sold across most major retailers.
The dual moves — a senior leadership hire with deep North American FMCG credentials and a flagship manufacturing investment — signal that Bauducco is positioning for a sustained push in the U.S. market beyond its core holiday panettone window. Operators and retail buyers tracking the premium baked goods segment should expect the brand to court new distribution and category adjacencies as Comte settles into the role. For more on executive movements in the packaged foods space, see our coverage of recent C-suite changes in the baked goods sector and North American food manufacturing investment trends.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
