Top global food & drink manufacturing CEOs – who holds the power?
They are a private people, tending to keep themselves out of the headlines when they can help it. Despite their reluctance to step into the limelight, FoodNavigator explores the food and drink industry’s leading CEOs from booze to biscuits, snacking and soft drinks.
It’s notable that many F&B CEOs took their roles within this decade, possibly an indicator of FMCG majors needing to change in a bid to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape that’s been struck by Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and war.
So who are the bosses of the world’s leading food and drink businesses?
AB InBev
- CEO: Michel Doukeris
- Main product: Beer
- Brands: +630
- Countries operating in: 150
Brazil-born Michel Doukeris was appointed AB InBev chief executive in 2021, having held positions as chief sales officer in 2016 and North America head in 2018.
Having joined the AB InBev business in 1996, working in various roles – and as a manager within the direct distribution operation for 10 years – Doukeris has been with the business through some of its biggest highs and lows, including many acquisitions.
Now he’s in the chair, Doukeris is focusing on finding new growth within the business, as well as digitalising.
He was also at the helm when the Dylan Mulvaney ‘controversy’ hit the business, but said afterwards the business was showing improvements, with lapsed Bud Light buyers returning to the brand.
Britvic
- CEO: Simon Litherland
- Main product: Soft drinks
- Brands: 39
- Countries operating in: 100
Having held the chief executive position at Britvic for more than a decade by February 2013, Simon Litherland has steadied the business through a great deal. Yet the agreed £3.3bn Carlsberg takeover is a once-in-a-lifetime for most CEOs.
The UK’s competition watchdog began an investigation into the takeover in September 2024, after the deal was agreed in July.
There are concerns Danish brewing business Carlsberg will reduce competition within the market if it joins with the Robinsons and J2O owner.
It’s not known how Britvic’s senior leadership team might – or even would – be restricted if the merger is greenlit.
While this may be his first major merger at the helm of a business, Litherland has significant experience across the fmcg and wider sectors, including managing director of Diageo Great Britain, as well as running the spirits business’s South Africa, Ireland and Central and Eastern Europe business.
Carlsberg
- CEO: Jacob Aarup-Andersen
- Main product: Beer
- Brands: +140
- Countries operating in: 65 production sites in 40 countries
Jacob Aarup-Anderson was appointed Carlsberg CEO in 2023, replacing Cees ‘t Hart who stepped down at the end of the third-quarter of the same year.
The Dane was CEO of facility management firm ISS A/S from 2020, where he delivered a financial turnaround and development strategy with a tech and digital focus.
Aarup-Anderson took up the position in September 2023 and bought $1.6m of company shares at the same time.
In 2024, the business announced a shifting focus as consumers increasingly turned to focus on cheaper brands and in reduced quantities.
This followed beer sales volumes down during the third quarter of the year, following a series of declines across various parts of the beer sector over previous quarters.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
- CEO: Damian Gammell
- Main product: Soft and alcoholic drinks
- Brands: +17 soft +2 alcoholic
- Countries operating in: 31
Under Damian Gammell’s leadership, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has evolved into a giant with focus across multiple countries, beverage and market segments.
He has taken the business into coffee and alcohol, with the launch of Absolut Sprite and Jack Daniel’s Coca-Cola.
Gammell specialises in risk management, development and strategy execution, which he uses to drive the business forward with a focus on customers.
A new pricing strategy during a difficult cost-of-living period helped drive the bottler’s 2024 half-year sales up to healthy levels, with sales at €9.82bn (+9.5%).
Danone
- CEO: Antoine de Saint-Affrique
- Main product: Mixed FMCG
- Brands: +19
- Countries operating in: 120
Antoine de Saint-Affrique has held several senior positions with the food and drink sector over his career, including CEO of Barry Callebaut, president of Unilever’s group executive committee and executive VP of Unilever’s skin category.
He took on the mantle of Danone CEO in September 2021, and then became a member of the board of directors the following April.
During his tenure, Saint-Affrique has led the business’s unwavering China growth strategy, which the company has operated in since 1987.
In the west, the business launched a market-share-boosting investment strategy that would aim to drive volume growth and improved margins.
The strategy aims to deliver the business’s long-term ambition of achieving €3bn in free cash flow, driven by value and volume sales.
Diageo
- CEO: Debra Crew
- Main product: Spirits
- Brands: +200
- Countries operating in: +180
With an enviable backlist of roles within some of the world’s largest food and beverage businesses – from Nestlé to Mondelēz International, Pepsico and Kraft Foods, Diageo CEO Debra Crew has a lot of references to pull from.
She was appointed to the role on 8 June 2023, ahead of schedule when outgoing CEO Sir Ivan Menezes died unexpectedly after a short illness.
Her career at Diageo has also encompassed many positions, including chief operating officer, North America and global supply president, North America president and non-executive director for Diageo plc.
During her first year heading the business, the group hit troubled waters as its shares suffered the worst blow in seven years, leaving Crew “fighting for her job”, according to some analysts at the time.
Ferrero
- CEO: Lapo Civiletti
- Main product: Confectionery
- Brands: +35
- Countries operating in: 170
Ferrero remains a private company when it comes to its people, instead the business prefers to promote its environmental and social strategies.
CEO Lapo Civiletti remains discreet also, hitting the headlines very few times since he came the role as the first non-Ferrero family member to lead the business on his appointment in 2017.
He took the helm on 1 September, having served the business as head of its Central & Eastern European operations, where he was an acclaimed and “highly ranked” internal leader.
Ferrero has acquired many businesses in recent years, included Fox’s and Burton’s biscuit companies in the UK, forming Fox’s Burton’s Companies.
Fox’s Burton’s Companies
- CEO: Simon Browne
- Main product: Biscuits
- Brands: +16
- Countries operating in: +50
Operating under one name, but retaining their own personalities, Fox’s Burton’s Companies is headed by CEO Simon Browne.
Browne has held various roles across the FMCG and consumer goods sectors, including supply chain director at Kraft Foods and chief operating officer at Burton’s Biscuit’s Company.
Each company was acquired by Ferrero, but at different times, before being combined into FBC, though they operate under a ‘Ferrero-related company’.
Under Browne’s leadership, FBC made a return to underlying profitability in 2024 by increasing UK market share, growing sales 22.7%.
A series of investments and big bets had been made across FBC’s big name brands, including NPD.
Heineken
- CEO: Dolf van den Brink
- Main product: Beer & Cider
- Brands: +300
- Countries operating in: 70
Taking up the mantle of CEO for Heineken in 2020, Dolf van den Brink was reappointed to the post in 2024.
The beer boss joined the business in 1998 on the management trainee programme, working in various marketing and commerce roles over the next seven years.
He became commercial director of Bralima DRC in 2005 and managing director of Heineken USA in 2009, before being appointed managing director of Heineken Mexico in 2015. Three years later he was made president for Asia Pacific.
Kraft Heinz
- CEO: Carlos Abrams-Rivera
- Main product: Mixed FMCG
- Brands: +200
- Countries operating in: 200
Boasting a pedigree of roles within major FMCG businesses including Campbell Snacks, Pepperidge and Mondelēz International, Carlos Abrams-Rivera joined Kraft Heinz in 2020 as US zone president.
He held a handful of roles in the business before being appointed CEO in December 2023.
The business’s executive team maintains a low profile, with Abrams-Rivera subscribing to the same philosophy and making few headlines.
In 2024 year Abrams-Rivera has led the company through allegations of lead in its leading Lunchables snacking brand, with promises to innovate out of the bother.
Mars
- CEO: Poul Weihrauch
- Main product: Mixed FMCG and veterinary services
- Brands: +50
- Countries operating in: 80
Appointed CEO of Mars in 2022, Poul Weihrauch has been with the business for considerably longer.
He joined Mars in 2000 as European brand leader for Snickers and led Mars Wrigley Europe as part of the global Wrigley leadership team in 2008.
Following this, he secured the role of president for food and multi-sales and joined the executive board in 2011.
Three years later, he was named president of Global Mars Petcare, before stepping up as CEO and office for the president of Mars in 2022.
He has a keen focus on sustainability and merging purpose within a growth and performance strategy.
Mondelēz International
- CEO: Dirk Van de Put
- Main product: Confectionery
- Brands: +40
- Countries operating in: +150
Owner of iconic brands including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Oreo, Mondelēz International is a global confectionery heavyweight.
CEO Dirk Van de Put joined the business from McCain Foods Ltd in 2017 as CEO, but has held senior positions in pharmaceutical, Danone, Mattel and The Coca-Cola Company.
In 2024, against a tough backdrop which saw some of the business’s competitors struggle or lose, Dirk Van de Put drove Mondelēz International’s revenues and profits up on volume, as well as value.
The business held a positive outlook for the majority of 2024 and has been on an acquisition drive through its SnackFuture Ventures arm to broaden its reach into bakery and pastries, which the leadership team believes the business has “a right to own”.
Nestlé
- CEO: Laurent Freixe
- Main product: Mixed FMCG and ingredients
- Brands: +2,000
- Countries operating in: 188
Boasting the largest portfolio of brands out of the CEO list, Laurent Freixe, who came into power on 1 September 2024, is charged with running a global business with over 270,000 staff across 188 countries.
While his appointment to the top spot occurred in 2024, he joined the business in 1986, where he developed within the marketing and sales functions.
Three years on and he became the head of Nestlé’s nutrition division in France and was appointed CEO of Nestlé Hungary in 2003, before leading in the Iberian region four years later.
In 2022 under Nestlé’s geographic restructure, he was made executive vice president and CEO for Latin America.
Freixe came into the role following the surprise departure of former CEO Mark Schneider in August 2024.
PepsiCo
- CEO: Ramon Laguarta
- Main product: Beverages, snacks and mixed FMCG
- Brands: +500
- Countries operating in: +190
Chairman of the board of directors and CEO, Ramon Laguarta came into the position in October 2018.
Under his leadership, the business has generated significant revenues, including over $91bn in 2023.
However, demand weakened the following year as price-conscious shoppers drifted away from certain brands.
Though, like many other global FMCG companies, Laguarta has a firm eye on the Indian market, which is in growth and is set to see further growth in the coming years.
Pladis
- CEO: Salman Amin
- Main product: Cakes and biscuits
- Brands: +60
- Countries operating in: +150
Pladis outlined a major global business restructure, effective 1 January 2025, which split its regions into Turkey and Central Asia, Europe and emerging markets and Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia and New Zealand.
A series of managing directors, reporting into CEO since 2019 Salman Amin, will head the regions.
Amin has held roles in SC Johnson, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble before heading the biscuit major, which owns brands including McVitie’s, Ulker, Jacob’s and Carr’s.
The CEO has served as a chief operating officer as well as marketing director.
At Padis, he is responsible for over 16,000 employees globally and has his eye on a growth strategy that aims to bolster margins, a big focus for the business.
Unilever
- CEO: Hein Schumacher
- Main product: Mixed FMCG
- Brands: +400 across food and beauty
- Countries operating in: +190
Hein Schumacher was appointed Unilever CEO in July 2023 and holds responsibility for a business that serves over 3.4bn people daily.
He held positions with Friesland Campina as chief financial officer, spent a decade with Heinz in roles including chief strategy officer and president and CEO of China.
He joined Unilever in October 2022 as non-executive director, before his appointment to the top.
Since taking the top spot, Schumacher launched plans to separate the ice cream business from the main Unilever house and set out a strategy to lead with and invest in the company’s biggest, most known brands to lead its success.
This included a series of bigger NPD bets that would each drive millions in revenue for the business over the coming years.
