Top 10: Food Industry CEOs
Much like many other industries, food is facing global challenges surrounding supply chain issues, changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, rising costs and sustainability concerns.
But the industry is learning to embrace these challenges, by adopting new innovation and strategies under the resilient and adaptable leaders ahead of them.
This week, Food Digital explores the people leading the top global food companies across the world, showcasing the companies that have become household names across continents and are shaping dietary habits and food trends by the day.
10: Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Kraft Heinz
Headquarters: Chicago, USA
Employees: 36,000
Market cap: USD$39.39bn
Carlos Abrams-Rivera, CEO of Kraft Heinz, is a seasoned leader who previously held key positions at another top food and beverage company, Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Carlos served as the company's North America Zone President before he became CEO of Kraft Heinz in 2024.
In his time at Kraft Heinz, Carlos has focused on strengthening core brands and driving innovation, and his future plans include accelerating growth in foodservice, expanding in emerging markets, and enhancing digital capabilities.
He aims to continue Kraft Heinz's transformation strategy, emphasising operational efficiency and sustainable practices.
9: Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Danone
Headquarters: Paris, France
Employees: 100,000
Market cap: USD$45.97bn
Antoine de Saint-Affrique was appointed CEO of Danone in 2021, and brought a rich background in the food industry with him.
Prior to Danone, Antoine served as CEO of Barry Callebaut, the world's largest chocolate manufacturer, where he drove significant growth and sustainability initiatives, amongst leadership roles at Unilever as president of the Food division.
Under his guidance, Danone has embarked on a strategic overhaul dubbed 'Renew Danone', aiming to restore the company's competitiveness in the market.
His plan focuses on rejuvenating core brands, accelerating innovation, and expanding in high-growth markets, which echoes his ability to embrace evolving consumer preferences in the health-focused food sector.
Recently, he achieved the acquisition of Earth Island, bolstering Danone's plant-based portfolio.
8: Tony Xu, DoorDash
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Employees: 19,300
Market cap: US$45.97bn
Tony Xu is one of DoorDash’s co-founders and has served as its Chief Executive Officer and as one of its directors since May 2013.
Since January 2022, he has served on the board of directors of Meta Platforms and he holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Under his leadership, DoorDash – which builds products and services to help businesses innovate, grow, and reach more customers – has grown to operate in more than 25 countries across the globe.
7: Dominic Blakemore, Compass Group
Headquarters: Surrey, UK
Employees: 550,000
Market cap: US$47.81bn
Dominic Blakemore is the Group CEO of Compass Group, a global leader in food service and support services. Joining the company in 2012, he became its CEO in 2018 after holding various senior roles including CFO and COO.
A chartered accountant, he brings extensive financial and operational management experience from international businesses. His career includes notable positions at Shire plc, Iglo Foods Group and Cadbury Plc, as well as directorship at PwC.
Under his leadership, Compass Group continues to strengthen its position as a Fortune 500 company, serving millions of meals daily across diverse sectors in numerous countries worldwide.
6: Rohit Jawa, Hindustan Unilever
Headquarters: Mumbai, India
Employees: 21,000
Market cap: US$68.79bn
Rohit Jawa is the CEO and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited and President of Unilever South Asia.
With a career spanning over three decades at Unilever, Rohit has demonstrated leadership across various markets, including India, Southeast Asia and North Asia.
As EVP North Asia and Chairman of Unilever China, he significantly grew the business, making it Unilever's third-largest market globally. With expertise in integrating traditional market strengths with digital technologies and future-fit business models, he holds degrees from the University of Delhi and is an alumnus of IMD Business School and Harvard Business School.
5: Brian Niccol, Chipotle
Headquarters: California, USA
Employees: 100,000
Market cap: USD$88.29bn
Under Brian Niccol, Chipolte Mexican Grill has invested in food-tech startups like Nuro for autonomous delivery, and his "Food with Integrity" mission continues to drive Chipotle's commitment to sustainable, high-quality ingredients.
Brian has revitalised the brand through digital innovation and menu expansion, and he’s achieved significant growth in digital sales and loyalty program membership.
Overall, the company aims to double Chipotle's North American footprint and enhance operational efficiency.
4: Dirk Van de Put, Mondelez
Headquarters: Chicago, USA
Employees: 80,000
Market cap: $90.10B
Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelēz since 2017, is a Belgian-born executive and previous CEO of McCain Foods.
He's steered Mondelēz towards a consumer-centric growth strategy, and has overseen significant acquisitions, including Tate's Bake Shop and Grenade.
Looking to the future, he plans to involve accelerating Mondelēz's presence in high-growth markets and furthering the company's sustainability initiatives, particularly in cocoa sourcing.
3: Hein Schumacher, Unilever
Headquarters: London, UK
Employees: 48,000
Market cap: USD$139.37bn
Appointed CEO of Unilever in 2023, Hein Schumacher brings experience from his tenure as CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina.
While his Unilever achievements are still unfolding due to his recent appointment, he's focused on accelerating growth and simplifying the company's structure, aims to streamline Unilever's portfolio, enhance operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.
And his future plans involve strengthening core brands and expanding in high-growth markets while maintaining Unilever's commitment to sustainability.
2: Chris Kempczinski, McDonalds
Headquarters: Chicago, USA
Employees: 1.9 million
Market cap: USD$184.71bn
Home to one of the world’s favourite fast food chains, CEO Chris Kempczinski has steered McDonalds through the pandemic, accelerating digital initiatives and drive-thru optimisation.
Chris aims to enhance customer experience, expand plant-based offerings, and improve sustainability practices in the future.
And under his leadership, notable acquisitions have been achieved, including Dynamic Yield (2019) for personalised drive-thru experiences and Apprente (2019) for voice-based ordering technology.
Chris’s current focus is on the "Accelerating the Arches" strategy that seeks to drive long-term growth and strengthen McDonald's global market position.
1: Mark Schneider, Nestle
Headquarters: Vevey, Switzerland
Employees: 273,000
Market cap: USD$271.93bn
Crowned as the top CEO across the food & beverage industry, is Mark Schneider, the CEO of the world’s largest multinational food and drink conglomerate, Nestlé.
At Nestlé, Mark has spearheaded a transformation towards healthier products and sustainability. His strategy aims to reposition Nestlé as a 'nutrition, health and wellness' powerhouse, focusing on high-growth categories whilst divesting underperforming units.
This approach has led to achievements from the sale of Nestlé's US confectionery business to Ferrero and its skincare brands to EQT Partners, to acquisitions under his leadership including Atrium Innovations and a majority stake in Aimmune Therapeutics.
Mark has become well known for his strategic visions, as prior to Nestlé, he led healthcare giant Fresenius for 13 years, significantly expanding its global footprint.
And amongst his plans to accelerate innovation and capitalise on emerging market opportunities, there are promising signs that Nestlé is beginning to leverage AI and biotechnology to create tailored food solutions.
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