Spanish Food Giant Calidad Pascual Shifts to Decentralized Model in Major Overhaul
In a significant strategic pivot, Spain's Calidad Pascual has announced a sweeping restructuring of its operations, moving away from a centralized corporate model to establish five independent business units. The transformation, spearheaded by newly appointed CEO César Vargas, aims to inject agility into the historic food and beverage group as it navigates an increasingly competitive global market.
The Madrid-based company, known for brands like Pascual dairy products, Bezoya water, and Café Jurado coffee, will now operate through decentralized divisions focused on Dairy, Hydration, Coffee, International, and Distribution. Dubbed 'Project Aura,' the new structure grants each unit its own management team and operational autonomy, while remaining under a unified corporate governance framework chaired by President Tomás Pascual.
"We are activating this decentralized ecosystem model to recover the agility and courage of our origins," said Tomás Pascual, referencing the visionary legacy of the company's founder. He expressed full confidence in Vargas, who was promoted from General Manager, to lead the operational shift. Vargas outlined the goal as creating "a more agile, more digital, more sustainable and a more valuable company."
The move comes as the group, which reported revenues of €900 million and an EBITDA of €65 million in 2024, seeks to sharpen its competitive edge. The dairy division will integrate industrial and commercial functions to maximize margins, while the hydration unit looks to expand beyond mineral water into the broader healthy hydration segment. The coffee business, strong in the hospitality sector, will focus on consolidating national leadership, and the international division targets scalability in high-potential markets.
Analysts view the restructuring as a response to the pressures faced by legacy food companies, which must innovate rapidly to meet shifting consumer demands and compete with nimbler rivals. By decentralizing, Calidad Pascual hopes to accelerate decision-making and foster a culture of entrepreneurship within each product vertical.
Industry Voices React
María López, Retail Analyst in Madrid: "This is a logical step for a company of Pascual's size and heritage. Decentralization can unlock growth, but the real test will be in execution—avoiding silos while maintaining brand cohesion across the portfolio."
David Chen, Strategy Consultant in London: "The 'Aura' project reflects a broader trend in the CPG sector. Empowering business units allows for faster adaptation to local market trends, which is crucial for their international ambitions, particularly in reaching that €100 million sales target by 2027."
Elena Rossi, Food Industry Blogger (Sharper Tone): "Another corporate 'transformation' promising agility. We've seen this movie before. Splitting into units often leads to internal competition and duplicated costs. Is this genuine innovation or just managerial reshuffling to please the board? The vague details on management teams don't inspire confidence."
James O'Donnell, Small-Scale Dairy Supplier: "As a supplier, I'm cautiously optimistic. If this gives the dairy unit more autonomy to partner and innovate, it could be good news. But I worry the focus on 'maximizing margins' might eventually squeeze the supply chain."