LAVAL, FRANCE – The Lactalis Group announced its chief executive officer, Philippe Palazzi, left the international dairy company on Feb. 3, due to what Lactalis described as a disagreement over strategy.

Emmanuel Besnier, president of the Lactalis Group, said he thanked Palazzi “for his investment and his energy, which made possible to achieve the financial objectives for the year 2021."

Through Lactalis, Palazzi also issued a statement, saying he “wishes Emmanuel Besnier and the Lactalis teams every success in pursuing the profitable and responsible growth that will ensure the future of this French family company.”

Palazzi joined the company in June 2020.

The Lactalis Group, which owns 250 production sites in 50 countries worldwide, is a third-generation, family-owned business founded in France the in the 1930’s.

Lactalis came to the US in the 1980s, when it opened the first US manufacturing facility devoted exclusively to French brie. The Lactalis American Group’s portfolio of US dairy products includes Président, Galbani, Parmalat, Kraft brands in natural, grated and international cheeses, Breakstone’s, Crackerbarrel, Black Diamond, siggi’s, Stonyfield Organic and UP2U RECOVER.