Haigh’s CEO steps down after 30 years

Alister Haigh, the CEO of the Haigh’s Chocolates confectionery dynasty, retired from the role on Friday after 30 years.

According to an article on the Australian Industry Group (of which Haigh’s is a member) website, Haigh will be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Peter Millard, who will be the first non-Haigh family CEO in the company’s 110-year history.

“Alister is a doyen of the confectionery industry and has been a leader both at Haigh’s and within the broader confectionery community,” said Tim Piper, the Head of Confectionery Sector and Head of Victoria at the Ai Group, said.

“He continued to develop the business while CEO and has cemented Haigh’s place as an icon of South Australian business and confectionery throughout Australia.”

Haigh began working at the company in 1973.

“Reflecting on my time, it’s incredible to think how far we have come — with more than 300 chocolate varieties, 900 employees and 21 stores,” he said.

The transition in leadership will be official from August 4, and Haigh will remain on the board, “alongside his fourth-generation family members Simon Haigh and Sara Fitzgerald” and will take on an ambassador role. 

The Adelaide-based chocolate company is scheduled to complete a $130 million factory in Salisbury South this year, and to open its seventh Sydney store in September. 

News that the company had bought the site came out in 2022, and construction on the factory and work began on the site in late-2023.

According to a statement from Haigh’s at the time, the site includes 9,000 square metres for new production facilities and 6,000 square metre for warehousing and online fulfilment. New European-made equipment represented $36 million of the project’s budget. 

On May 1, the company marked 110 years since its founding in Adelaide by Alfred E Haigh.

Picture: a drawing of the upcoming factory (credit Haigh’s Chocolates)

Further reading

Haigh’s to build sweet $130m new factory

Haigh’s buys land to double chocolate production

Whatever happened to factory tours of old?