Beyond Baking with Miguel GONZALEZ-

The story behind the stories

A career spent asking what comes next.

Beyond Baking with Miguel GONZALEZ- is a personal platform for following those connections. It is part working notebook, part history lesson, and part open conversation about an industry that is always more interesting than it first appears.

That vantage point changes how you see a loaf. You notice the hands that shape it, the ingredients that make it possible, the systems that deliver it, and the decisions that determine whether the whole operation can thrive.

Miguel A. Gonzalez is a seasoned corporate account executive with nearly three decades of experience leading sales, operations, and strategic key accounts across North America, Latin America, and global markets. Known for driving double digit growth, strengthening executive level relationships, and managing portfolios exceeding $50M, he has built a career at the intersection of food manufacturing, food safety, and large scale operational environments.

Miguel currently serves as Global Key Accounts Manager for Lesaffre Corporation, where he leads commercial strategy and global relationships with industry giants such as Bimbo, Pizza Hut, Frito Lay, and Mission Foods. His career includes progressive leadership roles in regional management, national sales, and global account development, consistently delivering revenue expansion, operational efficiency, and customer centric solutions.

Before joining Lesaffre, Miguel held multiple director and general manager roles at AIB International, where he managed global accounts including Danone, McDonald’s, Aldi, and McCain. He improved margins, restructured low margin segments, and led multinational commercial teams across the Americas and EMEA.

Miguel began his career in logistics and purchasing at Dawn Foods and later spent a decade at CSM Bakery Solutions, where he managed multimillion dollar portfolios, expanded operations across Mexico and Latin America, and delivered sustained growth through strategic restructuring and market expansion.

A bilingual communicator (English/Spanish), Miguel holds multiple master’s degrees in Digital Marketing & Analytics, AI for Business, and Global Business, along with an MBA in International Negotiations & Finance. He is certified in Miller Heiman LAMP, Strategic Selling, Six Sigma, and leadership excellence, and has earned recognition including the FRISA Award for Best Entrepreneur Project and multiple corporate sales awards.

Across every role, Miguel is known for his ability to build trust with senior decision makers, lead cross functional teams, and deliver integrated solutions that elevate product quality, operational performance, and customer satisfaction.

Miguel Gonzalez smiling in a navy jacket

Four ways in

One industry. More than one story.

In Search of the Ancient Sourdough series logo

01 · History & tradition

In Search of the Ancient Sourdough

A journey through the origins, traditions, and evolution of sourdough and bread — with room for the mysteries that keep old methods alive.

Bread and Beyond Research Series logo

02 · Food & culture

Bread & Beyond

A wider look at bread, baking, food, culture, and everything that gathers around the table.

BakingUp in the Real World series logo

03 · Experience & opinion

BakingUp with Miguel Gonzalez

Personal stories, hard-won lessons, honest opinions, and the small moments that only thirty years in the business can reveal.

The Bakery Gazette series logo

04 · The business of baking

The Bakery Gazette

Practical commentary on operations, sales, procurement, leadership, industry trends, and building a better bakery business.

Field notes

Visits Around the World

Travel and curiosity have always been part of Miguel’s education. From waterfronts and markets to working ovens and riverside communities, each visit brings a new way to listen, taste, and learn from the local food traditions and the people who make a place distinctive.

Miguel standing beside the Douro River with Porto, Portugal, rising behind him
Porto, Portugal01
Miguel on a camel during an excursion across a sandy landscape in Morocco
Camel excursion · Morocco02
Miguel learning beside a traditional oven with a local baker
Learning wherever food leads03
Miguel with community members during a cultural visit in the Amazon region
Cultural visit · Amazon region04
Miguel standing beside a riverside beach in Peru with the Peruvian flag
Riverside visit · Peru05
Miguel at the Fisherman’s Wharf sign in San Francisco
Fisherman’s Wharf · San Francisco06
Miguel working with a peel beside a wood-fired pizza oven
Wood-fired pizza oven07
Miguel outside Starbucks at Pike Place Market in Seattle
Starbucks · Pike Place Market, Seattle08
Miguel pausing beside a red phone booth during a travel moment
Red phone booth travel moment09
Miguel standing beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Eiffel Tower · Paris10
Miguel holding a snake during a tropical wildlife encounter
Tropical wildlife encounter11
I love Aruba sign beside a palm-lined road in Aruba
Aruba12
Miguel beside a gold car in a sunny Caribbean street scene
Caribbean street scene13
Miguel standing beside a Dominican flag in a historic colonial fort
Dominican Republic14
Miguel walking through a historic city passage lined with buildings
Historic city passage15
Miguel standing in a plaza before a historic colonial church
Historic church plaza16
Miguel posing beside a Guatemalan flag
Portrait with Guatemalan flag17
Miguel posing beside a ship moving through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal18
Miguel with a professional group outside a building
Professional group visit19
Miguel with a second group beside a landscaped property
Second group visit20
Miguel standing beside a lake with a distant shoreline behind him
Lakeside travel portrait21
Miguel visiting the Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain
Segovia, Spain — Roman aqueduct22

For the whole commercial baking ecosystem.

This platform is for corner bakeries and panaderías, foodservice teams, in-store bakery leaders, industrial operations, and distributors — anyone who cares about reliable ingredients, better products, efficient systems, and the people doing the work.

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