Moroccan food and household goods company Lesieur Cristal has appointed Karim Manssour-Dahbi as its new CEO, replacing Peter Tagge, whose term has ended.
Mr Manssour-Dahbi has over 35 years of experience in leadership roles across consumer goods and the automotive sector in North Africa and the Middle East. He studied engineering at the École Centrale de Paris and is known for helping companies grow and turn around struggling operations.
In his first statement, he said he was “honoured to join such an iconic Moroccan company” and promised to support the “Made in Morocco” brand.
Founded in 1940, Lesieur Cristal makes everyday products like cooking oils, margarine, soaps, mayonnaise, and ketchup. It controls about 87% of Morocco’s traditional soap market, with well-known brands such as Taous and El Kef.
The company also operates in Tunisia and Senegal and is the African hub for the French food group Avril. Its products are sold in more than 40 countries.
Lesieur Cristal has stayed financially strong despite tough economic conditions, including droughts that affected oilseed crops. In 2025, it reported revenue of 5.39 billion MAD ($535m) and a net cash increase of 24%. It continues to pay regular dividends to shareholders.
Sustainability is a key focus. Its “Servir la Terre” (Serving the Earth) programme includes reducing carbon emissions, modernising factories, and supporting local farmers. The company manages 1,400 hectares of olive groves and works with almost 100 smaller farms, providing technical help and guaranteed purchase prices. A new biomass boiler project has cut reliance on fuel by 90%, and the company aims to halve its carbon footprint by 2030.
