Leading supplier & manufacturer of professional dessert and bakery products, Sephra Europe, has promoted former operations manager, John Laughlin, to operations director.
John has been with the business, which has its European Headquarters in Kirkcaldy, together with a US division, based in Pennsylvania, for the past 12 years.
He is now looking forward to broadening his role, stating that his time with Sephra has been “an exciting journey” as the business has grown significantly.
“This promotion means a great deal to me,” he said. “It’s a real milestone moment after twelve years of hard work, learning, and growing with the business.
“I’ve had the privilege of playing a part in some major moments, from our move to new premises in 2019, to building the supply chain that helped launch our retail popcorn business, Sephra Popcorn, which is now the UK’s favourite tubbed popcorn.
“Expanding our product range from around 300 to over 1,900 SKU’s has been satisfying, as has securing the exclusive UK distribution rights for Nutella Dispensers,” continued John.
“Other stand out moments have been the acquisition of Sephra USA, together with the setup of our East Coast distribution centre.
“Stepping into the operations director role is not just recognition of the journey so far, but a chance to take everything I’ve learned and help steer the business into its next chapter. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, and excited for what’s to come.”
John explained that, over the past few years, as the business has grown, his involvement in it, across many different parts, has increased.
“For me, this has meant I’ve been involved in not just operations, but also aspects like financial oversight, recruitment and HR, marketing, and managing a much larger team.
“This promotion feels like a formal recognition of how my responsibilities have expanded over time. It’s a step up, yes, but also a continuation of the direction in which things have been heading as the company has scaled.
“A big focus for me right now is working closely with our growing operations team to keep improving how we do things — whether that’s tightening up inventory control, driving better supplier performance, or finding smarter ways to automate processes.
“I’ve been really fortunate to have great people around me. Nicky Gray, our operations assistant, has been doing fantastic work — she’s incredibly bright, full of ideas, and already helping to implement new processes that are making a real difference.
“And since joining us in November, Andy Girvan, our new procurement & inventory manager, has brought a huge amount of experience and is already having a strong impact.
“Alongside that, we’ve got some big infrastructure projects underway — expanding the warehouse and office space, and better integrating the packing room — all part of setting the business up for the next phase of growth.”
Commenting on John’s promotion, managing director and company founder, David Archer, said: “After 12 years of unwavering commitment and exceptional service, I am very proud and happy to see John promoted from operations manager to operations director at Sephra Europe Ltd.
“John’s steadfast dedication and tireless input have been central to the company’s growth, and I’m excited to see his leadership continue to help shape our future success. Congratulations, John!”
For more information about Sephra, please visit https://www.sephra.com.
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