Paulig has appointed Khalil El-Achkar to lead its global supply chain and sourcing operations from 14 December 2026, bringing its Tex Mex manufacturing director into the leadership team of the €1.39bn food and beverage group.

The Finnish company announced the appointment on 16 October. El-Achkar succeeds Thomas Panteli, who is leaving for an opportunity outside Paulig after more than seven years with the business.

El-Achkar previously led Paulig’s integrated customer supply chain and worked at Unilever before joining the group. He will remain based in Landskrona, Sweden.

Chief executive Rolf Ladau said: “Khalil knows our business and our people well”. He pointed to the incoming executive’s operational experience as a basis for strengthening the organisation.

The appointment matters beyond Paulig’s coffee business. The group supplies Tex Mex, snacks, world foods and spices, with brands including Santa Maria, Conimex, Poco Loco and Zanuy. It also manufactures for private label and industrial customers, giving the supply chain role exposure to retailer specifications as well as branded ranges.

Paulig is among the major Finnish FMCG manufacturers. Its 2025 sales reached approximately €1.39bn, and it employs around 2,700 people across 13 countries.

The December handover comes ahead of a separate organisational change proposed on 1 September. Paulig plans to establish Branded Foods, Customer Brands and Coffee business areas by 1 January 2027 at the latest, following consultation. That proposal envisaged up to 55 redundancies globally. Today’s announcement does not say Panteli’s departure is part of that programme.

For supermarket procurement teams, the practical question is how the leadership handover supports service across those different businesses. Branded promotions and own-label contracts can place different demands on production schedules, ingredient sourcing and packaging availability. A manager with experience in both manufacturing and customer supply brings knowledge of those interfaces.

GTN’s assessment is that buyers should focus on continuity of account responsibility, agreed lead times and escalation routes during the transition. An appointment alone provides no evidence that delivery performance, prices or production capacity will change.

The distinction is particularly relevant to Finland’s private label supply base, where switching a recipe or pack format can require coordination between commercial, technical and factory teams. Retailers will need clear ownership of those decisions as Paulig’s planned structure develops.

El-Achkar takes up the role on 14 December. The next test for commercial partners will be whether the handover and proposed business reorganisation preserve dependable supply while supporting the group’s growth plans.

Editor’s note: Based on Paulig’s announcements of 16 October and 1 September 2026, with GTN analysis of the implications for supermarket procurement and supply continuity.