Bakery and food retail software specialist Cybake has appointed John Fish as Head of Customer Success.
Before leaving in 2025, John spent 18 years with major British international retailer M&S.
Raised and currently based in Leicester, John joined the company after completing an MBA in New Brunswick, Canada. He worked his way up from graduate trainee at M&S Tamworth, Staffordshire, to a variety of commercial and store management roles across the Midlands and South West England.
John was then recruited to M&S’s central operation, originally as UK field team manager for its café/bakery/deli hospitality division, then to new initiatives and franchise development within its wider food group, and finally as senior commercial manager for its international wholesale operation.
In this latter role, he was responsible for establishing M&S biscuits and confectionary, including its popular Percy Pigs range of sweets, in American retail giant Target’s stores across the USA.
Prior to that, he implemented digital ordering in M&S cafes, launched Mai Sushi as the company’s first ever food concession, and worked closely on the hospitality part of its ongoing food hall renewal programme.
After leaving M&S, where he had been a Cybake ISB user, John launched his own food sector consultancy. This led to work on large implementations of Cybake ISB for other major retailers.
Cybake ISB software is used by supermarkets, retail bakery chains and forecourt operators to forecast, plan, and control the production of fresh food made in their stores.
Global projects
In his new role, John will continue to collaborate with Cybake’s enterprise retail customers on projects around the world.
Commenting on the new appointment, Cybake CEO Ali Lyons, who herself previously headed up divisions within M&S and Morrisons, says: “I worked with John in the hospitality division of M&S and know how brilliant he is at building relationships and getting close to his customers.
“Not only is he a multi-skilled food retail all-rounder, John also has unique experience of the convenience sector at an enterprise level. Having lived and worked in the North American market he’s going to really bolster the experience we have with the grocery sector in that market too. A keen sportsman in his spare time with a competitive mindset, this is a great new signing for Cybake.”
John Fish, Cybake’s new Head of Customer Success, adds: “It’s great to be joining Cybake at a time when the conversation around operational efficiency in food retail has never been more relevant.
“Production planning is one of those areas where the right tool can genuinely transform how a retailer that makes food in its stores operates. I’ve seen recent implementations deliver real, measurable improvements that make this opportunity all the more compelling.”
