Catherine Petitjean has been elected as the president of Alliance 7, the largest food union in France, which works for the interests of companies that produce breads, breakfast cereals, coffee, cakes, and special nutrition foods.
The first woman to occupy the role, she succeeds Pierre Geneslay at the helm of body which incorporates 320 companies and 48,000 employees.
"In the present economic conditions, the role of the trade union is essential," Petitjean said in an Alliance 7 statement.
"Our federation is a real source of support to its 320 member companies, delivering benchmarks and vision in a [food market] world in constant change. I wish to be the mouthpiece of the companies under our protection, and a guardian of their traditions and expertise."
"These companies know how to remain innovative within the context of price wars, which can destroy value and undermine competition," she added.
Petitjean is a Chevalier de la légion d’honneur, and was head of France's trade union Biscuits et Gâteaux de France for ten years.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here
