Roma Foods has announced that CEO Sam Schachna will be stepping down from the business following more than six years in the role, with the company continuing under the guidance of Managing Director Max Buontempo and the existing leadership team.

Mr Buontempo thanked Mr Schachna for his contribution to the business during a significant period of growth and development for the company.

“Sam has made a valuable contribution to Roma Foods during his time with the company and we thank him for his efforts, commitment and leadership over the past six years,” said Mr Buontempo.

Founded in 1953 and family-owned since 1984, Roma Foods has grown into “one of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading allergen-free and gluten-free food manufacturers”, supplying more than 40 export markets worldwide across retail, foodservice and industrial channels.

Mr Buontempo, who has been involved in the business for the past 42 years, said Roma Foods remains in a strong position operationally, strategically and culturally, with continuity across all areas of the organisation.

“Roma Foods has been built on strong foundations over its 73-year history, with a culture of consistency, respect, innovation and long-term relationships that has served the company extremely well over many decades,” he said.

“Having personally been involved in the business for the past 42 years, I remain closely engaged across all areas of Roma Foods, including product development, innovation, sales, export markets, customer relationships and the overall direction of the company.

“Together with our experienced management group and long-standing team members, this provides strong continuity and stability moving forward.”

Mr Buontempo said the strength of Roma Foods has always extended beyond any single individual and reflected the depth of experience throughout the broader organisation.

“Importantly, the strength of Roma Foods has never rested with any one individual, including myself. We have a highly capable and committed team across every part of the organisation that supports the company every day,” he said.

“The business also benefits from significant long-term institutional knowledge and multi-generational experience across the organisation, which continues to position Roma Foods strongly for the future.”

Roma Foods operates from its manufacturing facility in Carrum Downs, Victoria, producing a broad portfolio of gluten-free and allergen-friendly products including brands such as Orgran, Pasta Roma, Spliits and BuonTempo.

The company continues to invest heavily in innovation and new product development, recently launching its new Orgran Protein Crispbread, developed by the company’s internal innovation and NPD teams as part of Roma Foods’ ongoing focus on health and wellness categories.

“We continue to see strong opportunities through innovation, expanding market opportunities and the strength of our long-standing team and relationships,” said Mr Buontempo.

The business also maintains long-standing relationships with suppliers, retailers and customers both within Australia and internationally, built over decades through reliability, consistency and a clear long-term direction.

As part of the company’s ongoing evolution and growth strategy, Roma Foods confirmed it will continue to review the structure of the organisation and explore future leadership opportunities internally and externally, including potential CEO, General Manager or other senior executive roles. No decisions have been made regarding those positions at this stage.

“In the meantime, the business will continue under my guidance, supported by a strong and experienced team, and we remain very confident about the future of Roma Foods and the opportunities ahead,” Mr Buontempo said.

“Looking ahead, we remain very optimistic about the future growth of Roma Foods, particularly through continued innovation, expanding market opportunities and the strength of our long-standing team and relationships.”