A proven category leader and disruptor, McGuinness steps into the role at a pivotal moment for Bel as the company accelerates growth and advances its Purpose*Full Snacking strategy in one of its most important regions.
In this role, McGuinness will oversee operations across 3 offices – NYC, Chicago and Montreal and 5 Bel manufacturing plants across the U.S. and Canada, leading teams across the region to take Bel’s portfolio of brands to the next level, with responsibility for accelerating growth, breakthrough innovation, strengthening the company’s local footprint, and building a more sustainable and performance-focused food business.
“North America, and particularly the United States, is a cornerstone of Bel’s future,” said Cécile Béliot, CEO, Bel Group. “Peter is a transformational, values-driven leader whose track record aligns perfectly with Bel’s ‘two-leg’ model – where profitability and sustainability are equally important. His appointment reflects our confidence in the strength of Bel North America, our ambition to accelerate Purpose*Full Snacking, and our belief that performance and responsibility go hand in hand.”
McGuinness brings a unique combination of brand building, operations, manufacturing, and culture. He helped scale Chobani into a category leader, advanced growth and mission at Impossible foods, and spent more than a decade in the agency world shaping culturally relevant food and lifestyle brands.
McGuinness joins Bel at a time when the company is reshaping the role of snacking in people’s diets through its Purpose*Full Snacking strategy—helping address the nutrition gap in the U.S., where most Americans snack daily yet 80% of them fall short on fruit, veggie, and dairy intake.
“Bel’s mission-led model, rooted in 160 years of innovation and entrepreneurship, is both inspiring and distinctive,” said McGuinness. “I’m excited to help accelerate Purpose*Full Snacking across North America and beyond — making it easier for people to snack more intentionally and deliciously with fruit, veggie, and dairy options that bring nourishment and joy, and maybe a laugh or two along the way.”
Bel is a local player with deep roots in the United States, focused on portion-sized fruit, veggie and dairy snacks. The company is expanding capacity at its Little Chute, WI and Brookings, SD facilities to meet accelerating demand. With his experience building purpose-driven brands, scaling manufacturing and strengthening supply chains, McGuinness is well positioned to unleash Bel’s full potential for growth and impact — for all, for good.
