VEVEY, SWITZERLAND — Ulf Mark Schneider has been named chief executive officer of Nestle S.A., effective Jan. 1, 2017. The move underscores Nestle’s shift toward health and wellness, as Mr. Schneider is currently c.e.o. of Fresenius Group, a German health care company.
Mr. Schneider will replace Paul Bulcke, who is proposed for election as Nestle’s chairman of the board of directors next April. Mr. Bulcke would take the place of Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who will retire in April after working for Nestle for 50 years.
“With the proposed appointment of Paul Bulcke as chairman of the board and Ulf Mark Schneider as c.e.o., the board has increased the company’s capabilities to accelerate Nestle’s journey to become the world’s preeminent player in the nutrition, health and wellness sector,” Mr. Brabeck-Letmathe said. “Together with our excellent executive team, Nestle is well prepared to face the increasingly difficult external environment and deliver on both its long-term and short-term performance goals.”
Along with the announcement of Mr. Schneider’s appointment, Nestle also expressed its intention to fully integrate Nestle Health Science S.A. and Nestle Skin Health S.A. into the Nestle organization. The company recently has invested in a number of health and wellness initiatives, including reducing sodium, sugar and saturated fats and removing artificial flavors from its products.
“With consumers around the world taking a deeper interest in their personal health and wellbeing, Nestle’s industry-leading global food and beverage business positions it well for advancing the vision of Nutrition, Health and Wellness.,” Mr. Schneider said. “I very much look forward to working with the Nestle team and all Nestle stakeholders as we continue to pursue this vision.”
