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Roger is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Bakers Delight, founded 1980, the largest national chain of bakeries in Australia with over 700 bakeries operating throughout Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
In May 1980, Roger, together with his wife Lesley and another partner started Bakery Delight in Hawthorn, Victoria. Roger and Lesley then went on to create Bakers Delight, which is still very much a family business. Whilst Roger and Lesley remain as co-Founders, their two children are in leadership positions.
Whilst remaining in touch with the business Roger is also involved in philanthropic activities as Director, Gillespie Family Foundation, which contributes to a range of initiatives in education, science research and medicine.
Lesley along with her husband Roger are Founders,Bakers Delight, a 700 plus bakery franchise network across four countries; Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. In Canada and United States, it is branded as COBS Bread. Bakers Delight started from one bakery in Hawthorn, Melbourne May 1980.
Community involvement has been important and over the years Lesley has been involved in many community activities ranging from serving on school boards to chairing advisory committees at Swinburne and Monash Universities where she has been awarded honorary doctorates. Bakers Delight is also a major sponsor of Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Other businesses in which Lesley is involved are 121SEED and Health Food Holdings.
Along the journey Lesley has been recognised in 2026 OAM Order of Australia Medal 2026 and Champion of Entrepreneurship at EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™.
Elise is a successful retail executive with extensive experience in operating across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US.
As the daughter of Bakers Delight Founders, Roger and Lesley Gillespie, Elise was ‘born to bake’.
Elise spent the first nine years of her career in North America working in a series of operational roles including Vice President, COBS Bread, a subsidiary of Bakers Delight, enabling rapid growth of the business.
In 2012, Elise returned home to Australia to form part of the Bakers Delight Executive Team and worked across multiple areas of the business to develop and implement a range of successful growth strategies.
Under the CEO leadership of Elise Gillespie and husband, David Christie, Bakers Delight can be found in more than 650 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US.
