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This is not a leadership shuffle—it’s a business model declaration.
Glory is now signaling that Acrelec will be its growth engine for unified commerce in foodservice automation. Glory’s push to integrate Acrelec and Flooid reflects a deliberate move to redefine itself from a cash automation vendor to a full-stack retail technology player — mirroring broader industry convergence between software, payments, and customer experience.
Insight Opinion — The recent executive leadership changes announced by Glory Global Solutions at its subsidiary Acrelec mark more than a routine transition. They signal a clear strategic pivot as Acrelec enters its next phase of global growth in 2026 and beyond.
After guiding Acrelec from startup to global QSR technology leader, co-founder Jacques Mangeot has stepped away. Founder exits often create uncertainty—but in this case, the structure of the new leadership team suggests consolidation, scale, and execution are now the priority.
With Acrelec now firmly embedded inside Glory’s global automation portfolio, the emphasis shifts from entrepreneurial experimentation to platform discipline. This typically means tighter product roadmaps, more standardized deployments, and a stronger focus on profitability at scale—critical for serving multinational QSR brands operating tens of thousands of locations.
The appointment of Diane Palmquist as President of the Acrelec Group is particularly telling. Her background in enterprise software and unified commerce platforms (including Flooid) strongly suggests Acrelec will deepen its focus on cloud-managed platforms, SaaS revenue, analytics, and orchestration layers that sit above hardware.
In practical terms, this points to tighter integration between kiosks, drive-thru systems, POS, payments, loyalty, and AI—moving Acrelec closer to a software-first QSR operating platform, rather than a collection of point solutions.
The promotion of Bruno Lo-Ré to CEO reinforces this trajectory. His track record of doubling revenue and restoring profitability in the Americas highlights an execution-focused mindset. Expect fewer pilots, more fleet-wide rollouts, and stronger emphasis on serviceability, uptime, and lifecycle economics—key concerns for QSR operators in 2026.
From Glory’s perspective, Acrelec becomes the customer experience layer within a broader automation stack that includes cash management, payments, and back-of-house optimization. This alignment positions Acrelec to expand beyond traditional QSR use cases into hybrid retail, foodservice, and unattended environments where automation ROI is under intense scrutiny.
For competitors and partners alike, this is a maturation signal—not disruption. Acrelec is evolving into a predictable, enterprise-grade platform vendor with global reach. That raises the bar for regional kiosk suppliers, niche integrators, and even large incumbents competing on unified commerce, drive-thru AI, and self-service at scale.
Fewer vendor experiments
Longer RFP cycles
Higher switching costs
Bottom line:
The executive reshuffle at Acrelec isn’t merely about succession — it’s a marker of strategic acceleration. Glory Global is systematically repositioning Acrelec from a hardware-driven QSR innovator to the centerpiece of its unified commerce and automation agenda, setting the stage for scaled global execution.
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BASINGSTOKE, UK 5 January 2026 – Glory Global Solutions has today announced a major change in executive leadership at its subsidiary, Acrelec, as the company prepares to drive accelerated growth on a global scale.
After guiding Acrelec from its origins as a start-up to its present position as a global technology leader, co-founder, President and CEO Jacques Mangeot has stepped down from his roles and left the business. The company expresses its deep appreciation for Jacques’ vision, leadership, and dedication, which have been instrumental in shaping Acrelec’s journey and success to date.
To ensure a seamless transition and position the company for its next stage of development, we are pleased to announce the following appointments, effective immediately:
• Diane Palmquist has been appointed President, Acrelec Group.
• Bruno Lo-Ré has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, Acrelec Group.
With more than 25 years of experience in global enterprise software, Diane Palmquist brings a distinguished record of leadership, strategic vision, and innovation across multiple industries. She joined leading Unified Commerce Platform provider Flooid in 2020, successfully led the company through its acquisition by Glory in 2024, and became a member of the Acrelec Board of Directors in June 2025. Renowned for her unwavering commitment to excellence and collaborative approach, Palmquist is poised to help drive Acrelec’s next wave of growth.
“I’ve seen firsthand how strong platforms and focused leadership can unlock transformational growth,” said Palmquist. “I look forward to working closely with Bruno and leading the Acrelec team to accelerate growth and deliver lasting value for customers worldwide.”
Bruno Lo-Ré joined Acrelec in 2016 as CEO of Acrelec France and has since held several key leadership positions, including Executive Vice President of Food & Beverage and Co-CEO of Acrelec Americas. Under his stewardship, Acrelec Americas doubled its revenue, restored profitability, and secured partnerships with major customers, underscoring his proven ability to scale innovative businesses and deliver results.
“Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape Acrelec alongside an exceptional team as we’ve grown our global footprint, expanded our capabilities, and earned the trust of customers around the world,” said Lo-Ré. “As CEO, my priority is to build on this momentum. I’m energized by the opportunity to scale our impact and strengthen our position as a global QSR tech leader.”
Toshimitsu Yoshinari, CEO of Glory Global Solutions, Acrelec’s parent company, shared his support for the transition: “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Jacques for his unwavering commitment and boundless energy in shaping Acrelec’s journey from a small start-up to a global leader in Quick Service Restaurant technology solutions. Under Diane and Bruno’s leadership, I’m certain we will capture the significant market opportunities before us. I am excited about the dynamic growth strategy we have in place and the future we are building together at Acrelec.”
– ENDS –
As a global leader in smart automation solutions, we provide the retail, hospitality, and financial industries with confidence that their cash is protected, their processes are optimized, and the customer experience they deliver is truly exceptional.
Our software, hardware, and digital platforms help businesses in more than 100 countries enhance the experience they deliver in store, in restaurant, and in branch. While we span the globe, we personally engage with each customer to address their unique challenges and goals, whether it be enhancing staff efficiency, reducing operating costs, or enabling a more rewarding customer experience.
Employing over 11,000 professionals worldwide with dedicated R&D and manufacturing facilities worldwide, GLORY is built on a rich customer-focused, technology-driven heritage spanning more than one hundred years. For further information please visit www.glory-global.com
Acrelec, a subsidiary of Glory Global Solutions, is a global technology company focused on reinventing the customer experience for restaurant and retail brands. Leveraging decades of software, hardware and service expertise, the company develops and integrates new platforms that increase customer engagement, optimize efficiency and improve operations. With over 120,000 installations across more than 70 countries, Acrelec counts many of the world’s best-known restaurant mega-brands among its customers.
Media Contacts:
GLORY
Paul Race
Vice President Strategic Marketing
+44 (0) 7887 052366
paul.race@glory-global.com
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The Industry Group (aka Kiosk Association) comprises various related technology sites and news feeds from kiosks to digital signage to POS and Smart City. Retail Automation and EV Charging are others. Self-service technology (SST) is a type of technology that allows customers to perform various tasks without the assistance of a human. SSTs can bring many benefits to both customers and businesses, including cost savings, improved efficiency, and better customer experience.
The Kiosk Association comprises companies involved in self-service, digital signage, digital menus, outdoor technology, kiosks, point-of-sale, smart city, healthcare, telehealth, voice order, thin client, EV charging and retail automation.
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