ION: Who Is The New CEO Of The Historic Chocolate Factory?

Miltiadis Triantafillou is the new CEO at ION after the recent formation of the Board of Directors of the historic chocolate factory that operates in Greece. Miltiadis Triantafillou has almost 40 years of experience in FMCG products. During his long career, he worked at Bella Bulgaria, Vivartia Group, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo, while from 2014 to 2016, he undertook management consulting duties at Chipita. Before assuming the position at ION, he worked for almost 2.5 years at Grigoris as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

The company’s present Board of Directors consists of nine members and has been elected for a three-year term that ends on 6/29/2026. The composition of the company’s Board of Directors is as follows:

• • President: Konstantina Kotsiopoulou
  • Vice President: Spyros Theodoropoulos
  • CEO: Miltiadis Triantafillou

Members

• • Konstantinos Tzavaras
  • Antonis Theodoropoulos
  • Ioannis Theodoropoulos
  • Vassilis Vytoniannis
  • Efstathios Loizos
  • Maria Georgalou

ION is a historical company in Greece that was founded in 1930 in Athens. Until today, the company has been housed in the same position since its start. All the Greeks have connected their childhood years with ION chocolates. In fact, the classic ION chocolate (pure milk or with almonds) keeps the same packaging to this day. There is no consumer in Greece who does not know the package with the blossoming almond branch. This chocolate (almond ION) was launched in 1947, the famous “your first love and Forever,” which still holds leading market shares.

Over the years, ION grew stronger, expanded its product line, and began to produce, in addition to chocolates, candies, wafers, and ice creams. With its products, it soon opened its doors to the rest of the world. ION continuously and successfully develops its export activity from the West to the East. With three production units in Greece, approximately 950 employees, and a turnover of over €110 million per year, ION ranks among the 60 largest Greek companies.

According to the corporate and consolidated financial statements for the year 2022, ION presented a turnover of €117.88 million, an increase of 1.02% compared to 2020 (€116.69 million). At the group level, the turnover amounted to €121.03 million, marginally reduced from €121.69 million in the 2021 financial year.

At the moment, the majority shareholder of the historic chocolate factory is Spyros Theodoropoulos, owner of Chipita, which was sold to Mondelez International. His share increased from 45% to 60% through the Bespkoke SGA. This move was also combined with the administrative restructuring of the chocolate industry, as Spyros Theodoropoulos, an ordinary member, took over as vice president after President Dina Kotsiopoulou, a continuation of the founding family.

Finally, it should be noted that at the end of the 1990s, ION acquired the company INTERIA SA, which produces the product NUCREMA, and the chocolate factory Mabel, which specializes mainly in seasonal/festive chocolate and sugar products.

The changes to come will show the future of the historic chocolate factory.

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