People on the move
Barry Callebaut taps Unilever for innovation chief; names new Americas president
David S. Johnson – the company’s America’s chief – will retire before the end of this fiscal year (August 31).
Johnson, born 1956, has been the company’s CEO and president Americas since May 2009. He was previously CEO of Michael Foods and had a 20-year career at Kraft Foods.
He will be succeeded by Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut’s current chief innovation & quality officer. Boone joined Barry Callebaut in December 2012 from Unilever.
Unilever veteran Pablo E. Perversi will take over from Boone as chief innovation & quality officer.
Spanish and Argentinian national Perversi spent 24 years with Unilever, most recently as vice president of foods for Unilever Europe.
Boone and Perversi will take up their positions from September 1 this year.
Barry Callebaut Americas
Barry Callebaut CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique – also previously of Unilever – said Johnson had been instrumental in doubling the company’s sales volumes and profitability in the Americas during his tenure.
Barry Callebaut’s Americas region accounted for around a quarter of total revenues in the first nine-months of fiscal 2016/17, and grew +3.7% over the period.
The company’s Americas head office is in Chicago. Outside the US, Barry Callebaut’s Region Americas has offices and factories in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico.
Johnson will stay at Barry Callebaut until the end of 2017 and will remain a member of the advisory board of Jacobs Holding, the majority shareholder of Barry Callebaut, thereafter.
Growing importance of Asia
Barry Callebaut also announced Ben De Schryver, its Asia Pacific president since September 2016, will be a member of its executive committee from September 1, 2017 “reflecting the growing importance of the region”.
The company last week opened its first BC Studio – a testing and development facility - in Asia in Bandung, Indonesia. It will work with customers to co-create products at the studio.
Asia Pacific made up 5% of Barry Callebaut’s revenues first nine-months of fiscal 2016/17 and grew 12.7% year-on-year.
