Frank van Zanten

Bunzl distributes non-food consumable products — packaging, disposable cups and cutlery, cleaning and hygiene supplies, personal protective equipment, and safety products — to businesses across more than 30 countries. The company's customers span grocery retailers, healthcare facilities, foodservice operators, non-food retailers, and industrial businesses. Bunzl's business model is deceptively simple but remarkably effective: consolidate fragmented local distribution businesses through disciplined M&A, apply operational best practices, and leverage scale in procurement. The company completes 15-20 acquisitions annually, steadily expanding its geographic footprint and product range. This "buy and build" strategy has delivered decades of consistent revenue and earnings growth. Van Zanten's key decisions involve acquisition pipeline management, geographic expansion, operating margin improvement, product mix evolution toward higher-value categories, and maintaining the acquisition-driven growth model.