10/15/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Paris, October 15, 2026 - Carambar & Co., a leading French manufacturer and distributor of popular candies and chocolates, has named Maurizio Ficarra its new Chief Executive Officer. Ficarra brings more than 40 years of confectionery leadership experience across Europe and North America, with a career spanning Finance and Operations, and key experience building and transforming businesses, expanding manufacturing capabilities, and strengthening organizational performance across finance, mergers and acquisitions, and information systems. Ficarra joins Carambar & Co. after serving as Chief Operating Officer of Ferrara International Holding.
Ficarra succeeds Marc Auclair, who is leaving the company after a successful 4-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer in which Carambar & Co. saw steady growth in France, Europe and North America, and a renewed focus on heritage brands Lutti, Carambar, Krema, Poulain, and Terry's.
"It is an honor and career highlight to become Chief Executive Officer of Carambar & Co.," said Ficarra. "Leading a company with more than a century of heritage brands that play a role in generations of personal stories and family memories for consumers in France and across Europe is both a privilege and a responsibility. I am optimistic that, working together with the great team at Carambar & Co., we will continue to grow the business and delight consumers."
About Carambar & Co.
Carambar & Co is a French confectionery and chocolate company founded in 2017, built on a portfolio of strong, iconic brands including Lutti, Terry's Chocolate, Carambar, Malabar, Mi-Cho-Ko, Poulain, Vichy pastilles, and Kréma sweets. The company operates four production sites across France - Bondues, Saint-Genest, Strasbourg, and Vichy - with its head office in Issy-les-Moulineaux and around 140 staff there. In 2024, the company achieved revenues of €420 million and employs over 900 people in total. Since its founding in 2017, production has been relocated to France and accompanied by a modernization and investment plan across its manufacturing sites. In 2025, Carambar & Co. was acquired by Ferrara International Holding, a privately held Ferrero-affiliated company. More information at https://carambarco.com/