United KingdomQuick Facts
Overview
pladis is one of the world's largest snacking companies, producing over one million tonnes of biscuits, cake, and chocolate annually across 27 bakeries in 11 countries. Its products reach more than 4 billion consumers in over 110 countries. The company's name is inspired by the Pleiades constellation, symbolising a cluster of bright stars coming together.
pladis was created in January 2016 when Turkish conglomerate Yıldız Holding unified four major snacking businesses under a single global platform: United Biscuits (acquired in 2014), Ülker (Turkey's leading biscuit and chocolate brand, dating back to 1944), Godiva Chocolatier (acquired in 2008 from Campbell Soup for $850 million), and DeMet's Candy Company. The merger brought together heritage brands spanning biscuits, chocolate, and confectionery from across Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
2024 was a record year for pladis, with revenue reaching £3.23 billion (+17% year on year), operating profit of £344.4 million, and EBITDA of £486.9 million. The company is led on an interim basis by CFO Sridhar Ramamurthy and Managing Director Tim Brett, following the departure of CEO Salman Amin in February 2025. Chairman Murat Ülker continues to provide strategic oversight.
Stock Listings
pladis is not publicly traded. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yıldız Holding, a private Turkish conglomerate. There are no shares available on any stock exchange.
Ownership & Parent Company
pladis Global Ltd is 100% owned by Yıldız Holding, one of Turkey's largest private conglomerates with consolidated revenues of approximately $13.5 billion (2023). Yıldız Holding was founded in 1944 by Sabri Ülker in Istanbul and remains firmly under Ülker family control.
| Entity | Stake | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Yıldız Holding | 100% | Parent company (Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Murat Ülker | 63% of Yıldız Holding | Chairman of pladis, controlling shareholder |
| Ali Ülker | Minority stake in Yıldız Holding | Chairman of Yıldız Holding (since 2020) |
Yıldız Holding's interests extend beyond snacking to include retail (through Bizim Toptan and other chains), packaging, personal care, and real estate. The Ülker family maintains private, family-based governance with no institutional shareholders.
Brands & Products
Core Biscuit Brands
Chocolate & Confectionery
Nordic & Regional Brands
Ownership Chain
Yıldız Holding was founded in 1944 by Sabri Ülker in Istanbul and has grown into one of Turkey's largest conglomerates with consolidated revenues of $13.5 billion. Ali Ülker has served as chairman of Yıldız Holding since 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources
- pladis — About Us (accessed 10 March 2026)
- pladis — Our Brands (accessed 10 March 2026)
- pladis — Annual Report 2024 (accessed 10 March 2026)
- Wikipedia — pladis (accessed 10 March 2026)
- Wikipedia — Yıldız Holding (accessed 10 March 2026)
- Wikipedia — Murat Ülker (accessed 10 March 2026)
- Food & Drink Technology — Innovation powers pladis to record £3.23bn sales (accessed 10 March 2026)
- ConfectioneryNews — pladis completes integration of Godiva (accessed 10 March 2026)