Johan Hjärne has been appointed as new CEO for Quintus Technologies July 1st, 2024. Johan Hjärne succeeds Jan Söderström who leaves the position as of June 30th, 2024 after 12 years in the position.
Johan Hjärne joined Quintus in 2011 and has been responsible for Quintus aftermarket business and a member of the management team since 2021. Johan holds a PhD from Chalmers Technical University. Prior to his current role he has had multiple leading positions where he, among others, was Head of Sales for Quintus Technologies in USA between 2017 and 2021.
“We are very pleased that Johan Hjärne will take on the position as CEO of Quintus Technologies. Johan is a highly appreciated leader with a solid industrial track record of developing organizations and businesses. In addition, his competence in advanced technologies and experience from market-oriented product development will be another valuable asset to Quintus. Johan definitely has the capabilities to ensure Quintus’s future growth” says Jan Söderström.
“I really look forward to continuing the development of Quintus. I am convinced that such a technologically advanced company, recognized for its very competent employees, has a lot of future potential” says Johan Hjärne.
BENEO, a leading manufacturer of functional ingredients for food, feed and pharma, is pleased to announce the appointment of Olivier Roques as CEO and new member of its Executive Board of Directors at BENEO GmbH, effective from 1st June 2024.
With an engineering degree in agronomics and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Olivier brings more than three decades of experience within the international ingredients industry to this new role. He started his career in the dairy and flavour industries, followed by more than twenty years in leadership roles in the USA and Europe at Agrana Fruit, a world leading manufacturer of fruit preparations. This included positions in sales, food safety and quality and new product development. Prior to his new role at BENEO, Olivier was positioned as CEO of Agrana Fruit Europe.
In addition to being BENEO’s new CEO, Olivier will also be responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing as BENEO’s new Chief Sales Officer, succeeding Dominic Speleers. His appointment comes at a pivotal time as BENEO’s product portfolio of plant-based functional ingredients continues to grow in diversity.
The Tetra Laval Group Board has appointed Pietro Cassani as President & CEO of Sidel effective 15 July 2024. Pietro will be based in Parma, Italy. The appointment follows the decision by Monica Gimre to step down after more than five years as President & CEO of Sidel and 41 years in total with the Tetra Laval Group.
Pietro has been CEO of the Marchesini Group for the past eight years, and before that spent over 10 years as Group General Manager of SACMI. In total he has over 30 years of business and engineering experience. He holds an Engineering degree from the University of Bologna, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the SDA Bocconi School of Management.
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.
Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram is handing over the CEO position at Symrise AG to Dr Jean-Yves Parisot. In its meeting end of February, the company’s Supervisory Board, appointed Dr Jean-Yves Parisot, currently Member of the Executive Committee and in charge of the segment Taste, Nutrition & Health, as new CEO effective March 31, 2024. The Supervisory Board also renewed the contract of Dr Jean-Yves Parisot for another four years until the end of September 2028. Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram is retiring in the best mutual consent and agreement after 21 years of service at Symrise, of which 19 as a Member of the Executive Committee and 15 as CEO.
Dr Jean-Yves Parisot joined Symrise in 2014 and became Member of the Executive Committee in 2016. He oversees the segment Taste, Nutrition & Health and will continue to do so on an interim basis until a successor for this role has been identified. Dr Jean-Yves Parisot has been President of the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) since 2023. Prior to his time at Symrise, he had global leadership roles at Pfizer, Rhone Poulenc/Rhodia, Danisco, Air Liquide and the Diana Group prior to its merger with Symrise. He studied veterinary medicine and holds a MBA degree from HEC Paris.
Change of leadership at AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG: CFO Stephan Büttner (50) was appointed as the new CEO: On 1 January 2024 he will be taking over the role of Markus Mühleisen (57), who will leave the company at the end of the year before the scheduled end of his term in office as CEO on 31 May 2024. Furthermore, Stephan Büttner’s existing term of office, scheduled to conclude on 31 October 2024, has been extended until 31 October 2028.
Stephan Büttner has already held various management roles as part of the AGRANA organisation since 2012 and has played a decisive role in its success to date. As CFO on the Management Board, he is currently responsible for the areas of Finance, Equity Investment Management, Legal Affairs, Compliance, Procurement, IT, Organisation and Investor Relations as well as for the Fruit Division. As the new CEO, he will also be taking on responsibility for the areas of Strategy and Business Policy, Sales Coordination, Public Relations, Human Resources and Corporate Secretariat.
After graduating in commercial sciences from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Stephan Büttner initially worked at KPMG AUSTRIA GmbH. After moving on to Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG in 2001, he worked as CEO at its subsidiary Ybbstaler Fruit Austria GmbH from 2004. He has worked for the AGRANA Group since 2012. As CEO of AUSTRIA JUICE GmbH, a joint venture of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG and Raiffeisen Ware Austria-AG, he successfully managed the merger of AGRANA Juice GmbH and Ybbstaler Fruit Austria GmbH. In 2014, he became CFO of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG and has also been CEO of AGRANA Fruit since May 2021.
Treatt, the manufacturer and supplier of a diverse and sustainable portfolio of natural extracts and ingredients for the beverage, flavour and fragrance industries, announces that Daemmon Reeve has informed the Board of his intention to retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company.
Daemmon’s retirement comes after 32 years with Treatt, the last 11 years as CEO. He has agreed with the Board that he will step down from his role on 31 December 2023 and will step down immediately from Treatt’s Nomination Committee.
The Board regularly reviews succession planning and has begun the process to appoint a new CEO.
Until a new CEO is appointed, Ryan Govender, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed as Interim CEO from 1 January 2024. Building on his international and diverse experience from his previous roles, most recently within Associated British Foods, Ryan has a strong understanding of the business and has played a key role as part of the Treatt team in formulating an ambitious strategy for the future of the business.
Tim Berger, CEO of the Eckes-Granini Group, will leave the company at his own request by the end of the year to pursue a new professional opportunity.
Reiner Strecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eckes AG: “I would like to thank Tim Berger already today for the great contribution he has made in the last three years, especially with the future-oriented transformation of the company. The supervisory board and the shareholders wish Tim Berger all the best for his professional and personal future.”
Tim Berger: “I am thoroughly proud of what we have achieved together for Eckes-Granini in the past three years. I will continue to lead the company with the same commitment and passion in the coming months, until my departure. And already today, I would like to thank my colleages, all of the Eckes-Granini employees, and the entire Supervisory Board as well as the shareholders for their trust, support and strong engagement.”
About the Eckes-Granini Group
Eckes-Granini is the leading supplier of fruit juices and fruit beverages in Europe. For the independent family-owned company headquartered in Nieder-Olm, Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate), the focus is on committed and competent employees, strong brands in the areas of juices, fruit beverages and smoothies, and a long-term strategic orientation with sustainable value creation. Today, Eckes-Granini operates mainly in Europe with its own national companies and strategic partners and generates annual sales of 917 million euros with a total of 1703 employees. The company’s foundation is formed by the internationally renowned premium brands granini and Pago together with strong national and regional brands for juices such as hohes C, Joker and God Morgon. Consumers in 80 countries worldwide and especially in Europe know and appreciate our fruit juices and the variety of fruit drinks.
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.
Christoph Goppelsroeder, former President and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products, was unanimously elected to Bühler Group’s Board of Directors on October 8, 2021.
Christoph Goppelsroeder (62) was unanimously elected to Bühler’s Board of Directors at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting on October 8, 2021. With his appointment, the Board of Directors is gaining an experienced executive who has played a crucial role in innovation and who puts customer needs first.
Swiss national Christoph Goppelsroeder began his career at The Boston Consulting Group. From 1994 to 2003, he held management positions at Roche Vitamins in Switzerland, Belgium, and the US. He joined DSM through their acquisition of Roche’s Vitamins business in 2003 when he co-led the integration of Roche Vitamins and acted as DSM Managing Board member from 2005 to 2006. From 2007 to 2012, he oversaw Syngenta’s Global Seed Care Division. In 2013, Christoph Goppelsroeder was appointed President and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products, DSM’s largest business, and Member of DSM’s Executive Committee. He led the division on a robust growth path, both organically as well as through acquisitions. He retired on April 1, 2021.
At its meeting yesterday, the Supervisory Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft extended the contract of CEO Stefan Klebert (55) by five years until December 31, 2026.
“Over the last two years, Stefan Klebert has led GEA back to a more successful path through targeted measures, highlighting the Group’s great potential for sustainable and profitable growth,” said Dr. Helmut Perlet, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEA Group AG. “The Supervisory Board therefore expresses its fullest confidence in him and is pleased to be able to continue our extremely successful cooperation.”
“I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for the trust they have placed in me,” commented Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group AG. “GEA is a fantastic company with a compelling outlook for the future. I look forward to continuing to shape the company’s successful transformation.”
Shortly after Stefan Klebert took over as CEO in 2019, GEA initiated and consistently implemented several projects to improve efficiency. These initiatives, along with the short-term measures to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have played a decisive role in ensuring that for the fiscal year 2020, GEA will again achieve significant gains in EBITDA before restructuring measures and the corresponding margin. In particular, the new organizational structure introduced in January 2020 has proven its worth by placing more revenue responsibility and decision-making power in the hands of local management.
Stefan Klebert became CEO in February 2019 and has been a member of the Executive Board since November 2018. On the Executive Board, he is responsible for all five divisions as well as the regions & country organizations. In this role, he also performs the function of Labor Director.
JBT Corporation announced that Brian Deck will resume his role as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Following further discussions with JBT’s Board of Directors, Tom Giacomini has decided that he is unable to return as Chief Executive Officer of JBT and has stepped down, effective immediately, to focus on his health and recovery. He has also resigned from the Board of Directors.
Alan Feldman will continue in his role as Non-Executive Chairman on a permanent basis. Matt Meister, Vice President and CFO for JBT Protein, has been named Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Meister joined JBT in May 2019 and has responsibility for all finance activity for the Protein Division within the FoodTech segment. He brings a strong track record of driving results and developing process improvements in complex, global businesses to the role of Interim CFO.
The Board has initiated a search to identify a permanent CEO and will retain a leading executive search firm to assist in the process. It will consider both internal and external candidates.
“Over the past few months, Brian and the senior management team have demonstrated outstanding leadership of JBT and we are confident in their ability to continue executing the Company’s strategy while the Board conducts a search for a permanent successor,” said Mr. Feldman. “I look forward to continuing to work with Brian and to leveraging his financial and operational expertise as we focus on ensuring the continued health and safety of our employees and serving our customers.”
Mr. Feldman added, “We owe Tom a great debt of gratitude for spearheading JBT’s transformation over the past seven years. Under his leadership, JBT has generated a significant increase in shareholder value, while laying a strong foundation from which to continue delivering for stakeholders. Today, JBT benefits from a disciplined long-term strategy that focuses on growth and margin expansion while delivering exceptional products and services to its customers. Tom also played a key role in assembling our dynamic team of leaders whose significant expertise will further the strategy and continue to drive results. On behalf of everyone at JBT, I send my very best wishes to Tom, including the sincere hope for his improved health.”
About Matt Meister
Matt Meister joined JBT in May 2019 with extensive experience in global manufacturing across various industries, including his prior roles at IDEX Corporation where he held several operational finance leadership roles, most recently serving as Group Vice President, Health and Science Technologies. Prior to joining IDEX, he held various roles of increasing responsibility at Navistar International Corporation. Mr. Meister holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Finance and Operations Management from Washington University in St. Louis.
JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry with focus on proteins, liquid foods and automated system solutions. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for multi-national and regional customers through its FoodTech segment. JBT also sells critical equipment and services to domestic and international air transportation customers through its AeroTech segment. JBT Corporation employs approximately 6,300 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing and sourcing operations in more than 25 countries.
IFF, a leading innovator of taste, scent, and nutrition, announced that Kathy Fortmann has been appointed IFF Divisional CEO, Taste, effective October 1, 2020. Ms. Fortmann will replace Matthias Haeni, IFF’s current Divisional CEO, Taste, who has informed IFF of his intention to retire from the Company at the culmination of his 30-year career in the industry. Upon completion of the previously announced merger of IFF with DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) business, Ms. Fortmann will assume the role of President, Taste, Food & Beverage. She will replace Mr. Haeni and Amy Byrick, N&B Food & Beverage Platform Leader, who had been previously announced to lead the Taste, Food & Beverage division upon transaction close. IFF and DuPont continue to target completion of the merger for the first quarter of 2021, subject to approval by IFF shareholders and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
In her new role, Ms. Fortmann will join the company’s Executive Committee and oversee the strategy and commercial and creative execution for the division. She will continue to play an instrumental role in executing the integration of IFF’s Taste offering with N&B’s Food & Beverage platform, in close collaboration with Ms. Byrick, to form the combined company’s Taste, Food & Beverage division. Ms. Fortmann joined IFF in April 2020 as Head of Taste Strategy and Cross-fertilization, where she has applied more than 30 years of experience and expertise gained through various leadership roles. She most recently served as President of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a multi-billion-dollar food ingredients business, and previously held the role of President of Business Services and a member of the Executive Committee at Cargill as well as various positions with DuPont.
“In her short time with IFF, Kathy has already brought tremendous expertise and insight to our team leading IFF’s integration of Taste with N&B’s Food & Beverage platform. With her proven track record of delivering growth and innovation at global food and beverage ingredients organizations, I am confident Kathy is uniquely qualified to lead this division,” said IFF Chairman and CEO, Andreas Fibig. “I am proud to have worked so closely with Matthias, as his leadership for the past seven years as Divisional CEO has been instrumental in the success of our Taste business. His long and successful career has been truly impressive, and during his tenure with IFF he has advanced our position as a leader within the Taste industry and delivered strong financial performance. I wish Matthias the very best for his next chapter.”
Mr. Haeni has agreed to work closely with Ms. Fortmann until the completion of the transaction with N&B to ensure a smooth transition. Ms. Byrick remains fully engaged in running the Food & Beverage business at N&B, as well as assisting Ms. Fortmann with integration planning for the future Taste, Food & Beverage division. Following the transaction close, Ms. Byrick has chosen to pursue her career outside of the combined company.
Admir Dobraca has taken over management of Kautex Machines in USA. He succeeds Bill Farrant, who successfully managed and developed Kautex Maschinenbau’s North American site for a decade.
Dobraca has many years of experience in the plastics industry and is a proven packaging specialist. Most recently, he worked for Retal PA LLC, a supplier of packaging products and solutions to the food and beverage industry. He began his career in the plastics industry at Husky Injection Molding Systems in 2002. He held various different positions there, with placements in North America and Europe, until 2016.
With Dobraca in the lead, Kautex aims to strengthen its strong market position in the North American packaging segment and expand into new markets. To achieve this, the company will improve its product and service offerings for current and future customers.
Starting February 1, 2020, Thomas Hartkämper is the new CEO of Kautex Maschinenbau. He is taking over from Dr. Olaf Weiland, who has had significant influence on the development of the company since 2005. Going forward, Hartkämper is responsible for the areas of operations, research & development, and digitalization. Weiland, who is also a shareholder in Kautex Maschinenbau, is joining the advisory board, which is the controlling body of the company.
Weiland brought Thomas Hartkämper into the company in October 2019 as the preferred candidate to be his successor and initially entrusted him with responsibility for operations. The former CEO had put a succession plan into place four years ago, working in consultation with all members of management. His 50-year-old successor is an expert in change management and organizational development. Hartkämper champions a forward-looking approach to business operations, to ensure they are consistently aligned with customer requirements. Prior to joining Kautex, he had an active role for many years in managing various companies that operate internationally in mechanical engineering and plant engineering. He also has extensive experience in the plastics industry.
Weiland himself is retiring from day-to-day operational business, for reasons of age. As a member of the advisory board, he will continue supporting the development of the company that he has guided for more than 15 years. Kautex Maschinenbau has seen massive sales growth under his leadership. With his keen sense of future market developments and his strategic skill, Weiland was able to drive forward the internationalization of the company and its transition from an automotive to a packaging-focused company at an early stage.
PepsiCo, Inc. announced that LIFEWTR® will be packaged in 100 % rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), and bubly™ will no longer be packaged in plastic. The company’s AQUAFINA® water brand will also offer aluminum can packaging in U.S. food service outlets, while the brand tests the move in retail. The changes, which all go into effect next year, are expected to eliminate more than 8,000 metric tons of virgin plastic and approximately 11,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, representing the latest ambitious steps in the company’s sustainability journey and pursuit of a circular economy for plastics. They reinforce and advance PepsiCo’s goals to by 2025 make 100 % of its packaging recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable and use 25 % recycled plastic content in all its plastic packaging.
“Tackling plastic waste is one of my top priorities and I take this challenge personally,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta. “As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, we recognize the significant role PepsiCo can play in helping to change the way society makes, uses, and disposes of plastics. We are doing our part to address the issue head on by reducing, recycling and reinventing our packaging to make it more sustainable, and we won’t stop until we live in a world where plastics are renewed and reused.”
Naked Juice, a category leader in premium fruit and veggie juices and smoothies, has been working since 2009 to ensure its bottles are made of 100 % rPET and can be turned into bottles again and again. By making its bottles with rPET, the brand also uses about 25 % less energy than if it used virgin plastic.
PepsiCo is one of the largest users of food-grade recycled PET in the world, and the company is also working to help reliably increase the supply needed to meet its packaging goals. In tandem with current suppliers and partners like The Recycling Partnership, Loop Industries, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), PepsiCo is aiming to both increase recycling rates and improve the plastic recycling infrastructure.
Learn more about our sustainable packaging vision here.
Dr. Manfred Bracher, Member of RKW’s Executive Management Board, will resign from his position, effective June 30, 2019, to pursue new professional opportunities. The Supervisory Board has accepted Dr. Bracher’s request for early termination. In the past years, Dr. Manfred Bracher has made a significant contribution to the growth of RKW’s international business and its Sites.
Manfred Bracher started his professional career as a project leader at the Austrian Lenzing Group, followed by twelve years at the Finnish packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki in various positions, latest as General Manager Films. From 2008 until 2013, he served as Managing Director at Clopay Europe GmbH.
Dr. Bracher has been a Member of the RKW SE Board since January 2014 and leads the Division Hygiene & Industrial. In addition to that, he is also responsible for the Group Functions Operational Excellence and Purchasing.
Following Dr. Bracher’s resignation, RKW CEO Harald Biederbick will take over these responsibilities until further notice.
On behalf of the company, Dr. Rudolf Wehrli, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, expresses his gratitude to Dr. Bracher for his valuable services as Member of RKW’s Executive Board and wishes him all the best for his future.
The RKW Group
The RKW Group is an independent, family-owned company headquartered in Frankenthal, Germany and one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of excellent film solutions. RKW is the market leader in the areas of hygiene and agricultural films, films for the beverage industry and packaging for powdery goods. In addition, the company makes films and nonwovens for medical applications, for the chemical and converting industries as well as for the construction sector. RKW’s sustainable films enable its customers to improve the daily life of consumers all over the world.
In the fiscal year 2018, RKW generated total sales of EUR 878 million. About 3,000 employees process 367,000 tonnes of plastic materials at 20 locations around the world. True to the corporate slogan “When excellence matters”, the company, which was founded in 1957, offers outstanding performance in terms of quality and service. Respect and reliability are the core values of RKW and form the basis of the company’s success.
The Tetra Laval Group Board has appointed Ms Monica Gimre, President & CEO of Sidel Group effective July 1, 2019. The appointment follows the decision by Mr Sam Strömerstén to retire from his position after more than three years as President & CEO and 36 years with the Tetra Laval Group.
Monica Gimre is presently Executive Vice President Processing Solutions & Equipment in Tetra Pak. Prior to her present position she has had several managerial positions in the Group, including Vice President Marketing and Portfolio Management and Vice President Technical Sales and Service for Tetra Pak’s Processing business. She joined the Tetra Pak Global Leadership Team in 2016. Ms Gimre, who is 58 years old has a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Sweden.
The Tetra Laval Group Board has appointed Mr Adolfo Orive, President & CEO of Tetra Pak effective April 1, 2019. The appointment follows the decision by Mr Dennis Jönsson to step down from his position after 14 years as President & CEO and 36 years with the company.
Adolfo Orive, presently Cluster Vice President North Central and South America, joined Tetra Pak in 1993. Prior to his present position he has had several managerial positions in the Group, including Managing Director of Colombia, Spain and Cluster Vice President North and Central Europe. He joined the Tetra Pak Global Leadership Team in 2014.
Mr Orive, who is 55 years old, has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Ibero-American University (IBERO), Mexico and a Master’s in Business Administration at Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Mexico.
Changing of the guard in August 2019
Walter Pardatscher will take over from Gerhard Dichgans at the helm of VOG. On Wednesday 28 November, the Consortium’s board of directors settled on the figure entrusted with leading the Terlano-based House of Apples in the coming years, once Dichgans steps down from the role.
The company has known for a year that Gerhard Dichgans, the Consortium’s long-serving CEO, was looking to go into retirement. The board has been hunting for a suitable successor for a number of months, now identified thanks also to the support of a renowned recruitment agency based in Monaco.
The board concurred that Walter Pardatscher is the individual with the right skills to drive forward the consortium’s ambitious plans. 48-year-old Pardatscher has a background in apple growing: he grows them himself and is also chairman of one of the VOG cooperatives.
The future CEO of the Terlano consortium will first serve out his current contract with the Autostrada del Brennero motorway company, in his capacity as CEO. From 1 August 2019 he will bring his valuable experience to VOG.
Louis Dreyfus Company Holdings B.V. (LDCH) announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Ian McIntosh, who is promoted from his current position of Chief Strategy Officer, effective immediately.
The move follows the resignation of Gonzalo Ramírez Martiarena as Chief Executive Officer, after 13 years with the company, in order to pursue other opportunities.
A British national, Ian McIntosh joined the Group in 1986 in London. Having led the UK Grains desk from 1989 to 1991, he moved to Paris to trade global Feedgrains, and then to Melbourne to lead LDC’s Australasian Grain activities. Returning to London in 1993 as a Sugar Trader, he was appointed Global Head of Sugar in 1996 to lead the platform’s global integration and expansion. Between 1999 and 2006, Ian also managed LDC’s global Coffee, Cocoa, Rice, Ethanol and Grains activities, supervised the Group’s integration of its Metals business, and contributed to the creation of LDC’s current structure. He was appointed Head of Europe & Black Sea in 2007, and in 2008 left LDC to set up Edesia Asset Management as part of the Louis Dreyfus Group, serving as CEO and Chief Investment Officer until its closure in 2018. Ian holds a degree in Biological Sciences from Leeds University, UK.
At the same time, Mr. Federico Cerisoli, currently Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Group Controller, has been appointed Group Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. This follows the decision of Armand Lumens, Group Chief Financial Officer, to leave the company for personal reasons.
Federico brings extensive knowledge and experience to the position. He joined the group in 2008 as CFO of the Calyx Agro start-up. Soon after, he was appointed CFO for what was then the South Latin America Region, and in 2013 took up the role of Regional CFO for Europe & Black Sea. He later served as Metals Platform CFO, Regional CFO for Europe, Middle East & Africa, and then as Interim Group CFO, before his appointment to his present role. Prior to joining LDC, Federico worked for over 17 years in finance, commercial and business development at various energy companies in Argentina, Brazil and the US. He is a Certified Public Accountant from Universidad Católica Argentina, and completed his Executive Business education at Columbia Business School in New York City.
Mr. McIntosh is replaced as Chief Strategy Officer by Patrick Treuer. Patrick was previously Global Head of Strategy for LDC and serves as Non-Executive Chairman for Biosev. A Swiss national, Patrick joined Biosev in 2014 as Head of Strategy, a role he held until his appointment as Head of Strategy for LDC in 2015. Prior to joining the Group, he worked for 15 years in investment banking with Credit Suisse, based in Switzerland and the UK, most recently as Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets for Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Patrick holds a Business degree from the University of St. Gallen.
The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced that Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), will join ABA as its new president and CEO later this year. Lugar will succeed Susan K. Neely, who successfully led ABA for 13 years. Neely was named president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in May 2018.
Lugar will leverage deep public policy and advocacy experience on behalf of ABA and its member companies, which make and sell some of the world’s most popular and innovative non-alcoholic beverages. As president and CEO of AHLA, Lugar transformed the lodging industry’s largest association in her five-year tenure, tripling revenue and membership, strengthening the association’s core mission on advocacy, championing the industry’s voice with policymakers and achieving historic highs for the industry political action committee (PAC) placing it in the top two percent of all association PACs.
Lugar previously served as the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s (RILA) executive vice president of public affairs, where she ran a number of successful, high-profile issue campaigns. Prior to RILA, Lugar led government relations for Travelers Insurance, served as vice president of legislative and political affairs at the National Retail Federation (NRF) and worked on Capitol Hill. She currently is chair-elect of the board of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for pediatric cancer, a member of the executive committee of the Bryce Harlow Foundation and a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100.
The non-alcoholic beverage industry employs more than 250,000 people with a direct economic impact of more than $182.6 billion. The industry manufactures a variety of beverage choices in a wide range of calories and package sizes, including bottled water, 100 percent juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, soft drinks, ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks.
The Board of Directors of Chr. Hansen Holding A/S has appointed Mauricio Graber as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as of 1 June 2018.
Mauricio Graber (54) has been President of the Flavours Division of Givaudan S.A. and a member of Givaudan’s Executive Committee since 2006.
Mauricio Graber holds a BSc in Electronic Engineering from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico, and a Masters in Management from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. His professional career started in 1989 with The Nutrasweet Company in the USA as Business Development Manager. After two years in the role, he returned to Mexico in 1991 to become Regional Head of North Latin America.
In 1995, he joined the US-based flavour company Tastemaker as Regional President of Latin America. In 1997, Tastemaker was acquired by the industry leader Givaudan, and subsequently Mauricio was appointed Regional President of Latin America of the combined regional business. From his new base in Brazil, he continued in that role until 2006 when he was appointed President of the Flavours division based in Switzerland.
Over the past 10 years Mauricio has led Givaudan Flavours to strengthen its global industry leadership position. He has built a customer centric culture, accelerated commercialization of innovation, invested in developing markets, driven productivity programs, and delivered both organic growth and successful integration of strategic acquisitions. In addition, he has developed internal talents and built a strong organization.
Chr. Hansen’s current CEO, Cees the Jong, will continue as acting CEO until Mauricio Graber takes up his new position on 1 June 2018.
Elopak announces Thomas Körmendi as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of the Elopak Group, to join on 01 April 2018.
Thomas Körmendi is currently CEO at Kezzler AS, a Norwegian company working with the digitalization of packaging. Earlier in his career Thomas worked about twenty years at Tetra Pak in various international positions. His latest position in Tetra Pak was as Vice President and head of North Europe with 1200 employees and four multi country production plants.
“With the recruitment of Thomas Körmendi we have secured an international profile with solid knowledge of the industry to realize the strategic ambitions of the Elopak Group”, says John Giverholt, Chairman of the Elopak Board of Directors. “I look forward to the cooperation with Thomas to further develop and strengthen Elopak.”
Thomas Körmendi will be based at Elopak’s Group Headquarters in Skøyen, Oslo, Norway.
Chr. Hansen’s Chief Executive Officer Cees de Jong has informed the Company that after having led Chr. Hansen as CEO for almost 5 years, he intends to pursue a career as a non-executive director outside Chr. Hansen in due course.
The Company has initiated a process to find his replacement, and until then Cees de Jong will continue as CEO of Chr. Hansen.
Ole Andersen, Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors, says: “Cees has done a tremendous job for Chr. Hansen and its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. Together with the Corporate Leadership Team, Cees has steered the Company while delivering in accordance with our financial goals, helped develop an ambitious strategy and been a driving force behind our initiatives to pursue new growth opportunities. Chr. Hansen will be in a much stronger shape when Cees leaves, than when he arrived. We have several new and exciting prospects. I therefore look forward to identifying and appointing a new CEO for Chr. Hansen among the very strong candidates there will naturally be for this attractive position.”
Cees de Jong says: “Chr. Hansen has a unique competence base and strong growth prospects, and it is, and has been, a privilege to be the CEO since 2013. The Company and its employees have been creating excellent results and are continuing to deliver on the “Nature’s No. 1” strategy, turning Chr. Hansen into a true global microbial solutions company. While I am choosing now to pursue a different career, I will continue fully dedicated in my role as CEO for Chr. Hansen until my replacement has been found”.
Niels Petter Wright has decided to resign after ten years as CEO. Under his leadership Elopak has transformed from a company positioned for fresh dairy and juice products to a full aseptic system supplier. In addition to several crucial technological breakthroughs, Elopak has during these years expanded its geographical footprint significantly and driven an ambitious environmental agenda.
“Elopak is truly an extraordinary Norwegian based company with currently 98 percent of its sales in international markets. Niels Petter has played a key role in developing Elopak from a NOK 5,5bn to 8,1bn company and has led its employees with exceptional drive and dedication. He leaves a diversified company well positioned for further growth. As the owner of Elopak, Ferd is grateful for the job Niels Petter has done”, says John Giverholt, Chairman in Elopak AS.
Niels Petter Wright has been CEO of Elopak for the past ten years and CFO for seven years prior to that. He looks forward to pursuing other business opportunities, but will miss Elopak, the customers and his colleagues.
“While there certainly have been some demanding years in an international business environment, it has above all been fun. I wish my colleagues a successful future. I hope they will succeed exporting our excellent products and the Elopak way of doing business to further markets”, says Niels Petter Wright.
The Board of Directors has initiated the search for a new CEO, and is pleased that Niels Petter Wright will continue as CEO in this transition period.
