Genius Foods has appointed Adam Smart, former general manager of the PepsiCo Ireland business, as chief executive officer of its gluten free bakery business.

Smart takes the helm to lead Genius Foods to further success following the acquisition by Katjes Greenfood and a refocusing on the UK market.

He said: “I am delighted to be both back in Scotland and joining such an exciting company as Genius. With many of my family and friends struggling with the challenges that gluten can create, I have closely watched Genius on its amazing journey as a brand for many years helping hundreds of thousands of consumers. The entrepreneurial spirit and boldness to become the first quality Gluten Free product on the market was inspirational and I feel very privileged to take the brand, the company and our great employees on the next stage of our journey.”

Smart joins Genius Foods following roles as general manager of the PepsiCo Ireland business since September 2017. Before which, he held multiple senior commercial and supply chain roles with Diageo in the UK and across Europe. In addition, Smart has more recently been the chairman of the Irish Beverage Council, working with industry colleagues on Brexit, Sugar Tax and more recently the impending Deposit Return Scheme.

He takes over from Dr Peter Quinn, who successfully led the business through four challenging years.