SIG announced that, following an extensive global search, its Board of Directors has appointed Mikko Keto as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. He is expected to join in the first half of 2026.

Mikko Keto, a Finnish citizen, joins SIG from FLSmidth, a multinational engineering company providing equipment, systems and services to the global mining industry.

Mr. Keto joined FLSmidth in 2021 as President of the Mining division prior to becoming Group CEO in 2022. As CEO, he executed a comprehensive business transformation, including a financial and operational reset, portfolio optimization involving both a major divestment and merger, as well as a global efficiency and cost-reduction program. Mr Keto doubled the value of FLSmidth during his tenure.

Prior to joining FLSmidth, Mr. Keto spent over nine years at Metso Corporation, latterly serving as President, Services and Pumps.

During his career, Mr. Keto has delivered business transformation across several companies including Nokia Networks, KONE Corporation, Metso Corporation, and FLSmidth. Since 2019, Mr. Keto has also served as a board director and member of the Audit Committee for the Normet Group.

Mr. Keto has a degree in M.Sc. (Economics) from the Helsinki School of Economics. He will be based at SIG’s headquarters in Switzerland.

Tropicana Brands Group (“TBG” or “the Company”), a leader in fresh and chilled beverages, has announced the appointment of Paul Chibe as Chief Executive Officer, effective today. Glen Walter will remain with the Company in an advisory role through the end of the year.

Mr. Chibe brings more than 25 years of consumer goods and beverage industry leadership experience to TBG. He most recently served as CEO of Pabst Brewing Company, one of North America’s largest privately held brewing companies. Previously, he was President and CEO of Ferrero North America, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer at Anheuser-Busch InBev, and held senior leadership positions at Wrigley.

Throughout his career, Mr. Chibe has demonstrated exceptional ability to strengthen brand portfolios, accelerate business performance, and build high-performing teams. His achievements include launching successful innovations at Anheuser-Busch InBev, expanding Ferrero’s North American presence, and driving significant growth at Pabst.

Premium fruit and vegetable ingredients supplier SVZ announced the appointment of Johan Cerstiaens as its new Managing Director, effective immediately. He succeeds Pieter Spanjers, who is stepping down after five years of dedicated service. In his new role, Johan will oversee operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Poland.

Johan brings more than 25 years of business experience in the food and beverage industry, including 12 years at SVZ, where he served as Sales Director first and subsequently Commercial Director. During this time, he established strategic commercial partnerships and strengthened SVZ’s presence in key European and Asian markets. As Managing Director, Johan will continue to lead the commercial team, ensuring continuity in customer and supplier relationships, while driving the company’s long-term growth strategy.

Refresco, a global independent beverage solutions provider, announces that Steve Presley has been appointed as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective August 4, 2025. Steve will also join Refresco’s Executive Board.

Steve is a transformative leader with a strong track record of delivering accelerated growth and substantial value creation. With nearly 30 years of experience at Nestlé, a global food and beverage company, Steve fostered a high-performance, results-driven culture that empowered teams and propelled organisational success across complex, global operations.

Throughout his tenure at Nestlé, Steve held a series of roles of increasing responsibility spanning executive leadership, operations, manufacturing, corporate strategy and finance, providing him a comprehensive perspective on end-to-end business performance. Most recently, he served as Nestlé’s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Zone Americas, overseeing the company’s North America and Latin America operations from corporate headquarters in Switzerland. In this role, he managed over 100,000 employees across 24 countries and a network of over 120 manufacturing and distribution facilities across 20 product categories.

About Steve Presley
Steve Presley is an accomplished senior executive with more than three decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. Over a distinguished 28-year career at Nestlé, he held a series of senior leadership roles, and most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Zone Americas (2025),
representing the company’s Latin America and North America operations. Prior roles included Nestlé Executive Board member (2021–2025), Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé North America (2022-2025), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé USA (2018-2022) and Chief Financial Officer of Nestlé USA (2013-2018).
In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Steve has held senior leadership roles at industry organizations. He currently serves as Ex Chair of the Supplier Committee for the Food Manufacturing Institute and chairs the Global Leadership Council Advisory Board for the University of South Florida.
Steve began his career at Nestlé in 1997 as Factory Controller for the Beverage Division, following financial roles at The Hershey Company. He holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of South Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant (State of Tennessee).

Barentz, a leading global specialty ingredients solutions provider, announces that Derk Jan Terhorst was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2025. Derk Jan will take over from Terry Hill who served as Interim CEO since May 2024.

Derk Jan brings a wealth of experience to the role, having been with Barentz for more than three years as Group CFO. During this time, Derk Jan demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic vision, playing a key role in formulating Barentz strategy and driving other important initiatives. Prior to joining Barentz, Derk Jan held senior management positions in Ahold Delhaize and Tony’s Chocolonely, gaining significant expertise in international financial management, with experience spanning Europe and the USA.

A new CFO has been selected and will start on 1 May, 2025. Until then, Derk Jan will continue to assume CFO responsibilities.

Treatt announced the appointment of David Shannon as Group Chief Executive Officer and a Director effective on 3rd June 2024.

David joins Treatt from Croda International Plc where he has held several senior roles, recently as President of Consumer Care and an Executive Committee member. He has extensive experience in selling specialty ingredients in the B2B environment for the Flavour and Fragrance, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, and Agricultural industries worldwide.

David has a proven track record of sustainably growing businesses in dynamic markets. He has spent 13 years in various roles in the USA, a key market for Treatt, and has recently overseen a new manufacturing project in China. David’s experience includes global business management, setting and delivering strategy, optimising science and innovation to drive revenue growth, identifying new ways to maximise revenue and attracting, retaining, and developing employees. He has a degree in chemistry from Edinburgh University.

Britvic announced the appointment of Rémy Sharps as the Managing Director of Britvic Teissiere International, Britvic’s business unit which includes all operations in mainland Europe and all export markets. Rémy will succeed Hessel de Jong who will be stepping down from the company at the end of February, to focus on other opportunities.

Rémy spent 10 years with the Carlsberg group, working across numerous sales roles before being appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kronenbourg SAS, France’s leading brewer and subsidiary of the Carlsberg Group. With his team, he successfully led the company’s turnaround, accelerated the premium development of the brand portfolio, the widespread success of alcohol- free beers, including the launch of Tourtel Twist, and also initiated a real agroecological transition through the launch of the first responsible barley sector, for the 1664 brand.

Before this he acted as Chief Sales Officer for Carlsberg Group globally working across over 80 markets to transform sales and revenue growth, especially in China and Western Europe. Prior to joining the Carlsberg Group, he spent 19 years with the Colgate Palmolive Group in various sales and marketing roles.

Cargill announced Brian Sikes has been elected President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Jan. 1, 2023. With this transition, Dave MacLennan will assume the role of Executive Chair of Cargill’s Board of Directors.

Sikes will be the 10th CEO in Cargill’s 157-year history and brings a strong track record of business operational rigor to the role, having grown the company’s global Protein and Salt enterprise into an industry leader. Sikes currently serves as Cargill’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), where he has been instrumental in constructing the company’s long-term strategy. With broad experience across multiple businesses, cycles and geographies, Sikes held leadership roles in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and served as the head of the company’s Talent Center of Expertise. His relentless focus on people and culture, customers, and proven expertise in leading growth and transformation have earned him the trust and respect of Cargill’s customers, employees and the Board.

Sikes will succeed MacLennan, who joined the company in 1991 and served in multiple executive roles, including CFO and COO, before becoming the company’s Chairman and CEO in 2013. During his nine years at the company’s helm, MacLennan helped achieve outstanding financial results while feeding millions of families and building community resilience in more than 125 countries worldwide. His long-term strategic vision and willingness to disrupt are exemplified by his leadership on the largest acquisitions in the company’s history, including Croda (bioindustrials), EWOS (aquaculture), Diamond V (animal nutrition), and Sanderson and Wayne Farms (poultry). In addition, the company built expertise in alternative proteins and has developed technologies and digital solutions to transform farming, supply chains and food delivery during his tenure.

MacLennan is passionate about employee well-being, never compromising worker health and safety for production. He created Cargill’s sustainability office and built a culture that prioritizes and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. Under his leadership, the company is on a path to achieve gender parity by 2030 and the representation of women on the Executive Team has increased to 46%. In addition, he has been an industry leader in sustainability, particularly around climate change. He prioritized action, not just making commitments, with programs like RegenConnect™, which has advanced regenerative agriculture practices on 158,000 acres of North American farmland, and BeefUp Sustainability, which has reduced 1.7 million metric tons of CO2.

In his role as Executive Chair of the Board, MacLennan will ensure a smooth leadership transition, serve as a trusted strategic advisor to Sikes, the company and the Board and support Cargill’s long-term strategic plan.

Refresco Group B.V., the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands and retailers in Europe and North America, announces it has appointed Martha Zandbergen as Chief People and Legal Officer and Member of the Executive Committee.

CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs: “People have been and always will be at the heart of our company. Today, we elevate our People agenda to the Executive Committee level, by appointing Martha as our first Chief People and Legal Officer. In addition to her continued focus on the Company’s legal matters, Martha will prioritize our People strategy across our entire footprint, while ensuring full alignment with our other strategic priorities.”

Martha Zandbergen said: “I am thrilled to take on the challenge of further strengthening our strategic People agenda. It really underscores the importance of integrating this into our long-term growth ambitions. Refresco aims to be an attractive employer where people can build a career with purpose, and where they can grow and develop. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee and our local teams, to continue to build on our value-based culture and make sure our people feel engaged and supported.”

Martha Zandbergen is a seasoned executive and has held several international roles over the past 20 years. Martha joined Refresco in 2015 and has been heading the Company’s legal function in her role as General Counsel and Company Secretary. Prior to joining Refresco, Martha was Legal Counsel at Shell for almost nine years. Martha holds a Law degree from Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

European Bioplastics, the association, representing the bioplastics industry in Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Neguț as new Head of EU Affairs. She assumed her position on 14 March 2022 and will be based in Brussels.

European Bioplastics (EUBP) and its members are happy to welcome Maria Neguț on board of the EUBP team at this time of crucial importance. With the Green Deal casting its shadow ahead, setting up the path for the European Union’s transition to a real resource-efficient economy, bioplastics are poised to play a significant role.

Prior to joining European Bioplastics, Maria Neguț held several positions at the European Parliament and the European Commission. Most recently, she worked with the European Cocoa Association (ECA) where she served as EU Affairs Director Sustainability for over five years. Besides holding a Master’s degree in Political Sciences and European Affairs from the Université Libre de Bruxelles as well as a post-graduate degree in International Organizations from the European Academy of Diplomacy (EAD), she is also a recognised Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner. Maria was an active member of the EU Commission’s Expert Group/Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation. In addition, she was a member of the CEN TC415 – tasked with the development of the first international standard ISO 34101 on sustainable and traceable cocoa. On a regular basis, Maria is contributing to think-thank projects and writing on topics linked to sustainability, energy, and EU policies.