Food distribution industry veteran to build on BakeMark's over 200-year legacy and lead the Company into its next phase of growth
Pico Rivera, CA — May 19, 2026
BakeMark (the “Company”), a vertically integrated specialty distributor and manufacturer of bakery ingredients backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”), today announced the appointment of Sean Leer as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), effective immediately. Mr. Leer succeeds Jim Parker, who has served the Company for over 30 years and will continue in his role as Executive Chairman to support a seamless leadership transition.
Mr. Leer brings more than two decades of food distribution experience to BakeMark. Most recently, he served as CEO of GS Foods Group and its predecessor company, where he helped transform the business into a national foodservice distribution platform serving school and child nutrition programs across the United States.
As CEO, Mr. Leer will focus on continuing to serve BakeMark's national and local bakery customers while also broadening the Company's customer base, enhancing the Company's product and service offerings, and further extending its distribution and manufacturing footprint across North America.
“Sean's experience scaling foodservice distribution businesses makes him well-suited to lead BakeMark through its next phase of expansion,” said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Arta Tabaee, Partner and Managing Director, at Clearlake. “We are excited to welcome Sean and partner with him as BakeMark continues its mission of serving the baking industry's ingredient distribution needs across North America. Sean's operational and commercial experience combined with Clearlake's O.P.S.® approach will build on a solid foundation laid by Jim Parker and others. We thank Jim for his leadership and look forward to his continued partnership as Executive Chairman.”
“I am excited to join BakeMark at such an important point in the Company's journey. BakeMark's longstanding heritage in the baking industry, broad product portfolio, dedicated team, and customer relationships create a strong foundation for continued growth,” said Mr. Leer. “I see significant opportunity to expand the Company's reach, strengthen its service offerings, and help customers scale their businesses. I am eager to partner with the Clearlake team, Jim, and BakeMark employees across North America to build on that momentum.”
“I am proud of the platform BakeMark has built over 200 years,” added Mr. Parker. “Sean brings the right combination of food distribution experience and operational leadership to drive BakeMark into its next chapter, and I look forward to working closely with him and the Clearlake team on the next stage in BakeMark's growth and evolution.”
ABOUT BAKEMARK
Based in Pico Rivera, CA, BakeMark is a vertically integrated specialty distributor and manufacturer of bakery ingredients serving 30,000+ customers across bakery channels in the United States and Canada. With over 200 years of service to the baking industry, BakeMark offers a broad portfolio of 10,000+ active SKUs and value-added services, including product development, technical support, and business consulting. The Company operates seven manufacturing sites and 39 distribution centers across North America. BakeMark's exclusive brands include Westco, Trigal Dorado, Best Brands, BakeSense, BakeQwik, C'est Vivant, and Sprinkelina.
For more information, visit www.bakemark.com.
ABOUT CLEARLAKE
Clearlake Capital is a leading global alternative asset manager founded in 2006 with over $185 billion of assets under management1. Clearlake offers a broad range of investment solutions across private equity, credit, infrastructure, secondaries, co-investments, and other related private market strategies. Through Pathway Capital Management, a Clearlake company, the firm serves institutional and wealth investors seeking diversified access to private markets. Clearlake seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to businesses across multiple sectors. The firm aims to drive value through its active, hands-on operating approach, O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy), which combines deep operational expertise with strategic and talent-focused initiatives. Headquartered in Santa Monica, Clearlake maintains 13 offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit clearlake.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
1The foregoing information includes Clearlake's pending acquisition of Pathway Capital Management, which is expected to close in Q2 2026, subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Media Contacts:
For Clearlake
Clearlake
Tasha Pelio
310-400-8879
tasha.pelio@clearlake.com