Singapore-based consumer staples wholesaler Hanwell Holdings, which manufactures and distributes fast-moving consumer goods including household brands of staple foods, paper products, and snacks, announced earlier this week that former BreadTalk CEO Henry Chu has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer.

Chu has over two decades' experience in F&B and retail around the region. He had stepped down from leading BreadTalk in 2019 for personal and health reasons, citing extensive business travel that had taken a toll on his health, and subsequently took time off to recuperate. Prior to BreadTalk, he held leadership positions at Hong Kong-based Maxim's Group, Starbucks in China, Hong Kong, and Thailand, and Delifrance in Singapore and Thailand.

Chu's appointment follows shortly on a series of board-level changes at Hanwell, which saw two out of six executive directors removed in the last couple of weeks and replaced by industry veterans from NTUC.