ZURICH, SWITZERLAND — David S. Johnson, chief executive officer and president of Barry Callebaut Americas since May 2009, plans to retire on Aug. 31, which marks the end of the company’s fiscal year. Peter Boone, currently chief innovation and quality officer and a member of the executive committee for Zurich-based Barry Callebaut AG, will take over as president and c.e.o. of Barry Callebaut Americas on Sept. 1, the company said Aug. 24.
Mr. Johnson joined Barry Callebaut from Michael Foods, Inc., where he was c.e.o. and a member of the company’s board. Before that, he held senior positions with Kraft Foods Global, Inc. for more than 20 years.
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| Antoine de Saint-Affrique, c.e.o. of Barry Callebaut AG |
“On behalf of the executive committee I would like to sincerely thank Dave Johnson for eight highly successful years at the helm of Region Americas,” said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, c.e.o. of Barry Callebaut AG. “During his tenure, he nearly doubled our sales volume and our profitability in the Americas, shaped Barry Callebaut into the No. 1 industrial chocolate company in Mexico and created a solid foothold for our company in South America while also building a very strong and cohesive team over the years.”
Mr. Johnson will remain associated with Barry Callebaut since he recently joined the advisory board of Jacobs Holding AG, a global investment firm based in Zurich, Mr. de Saint-Affrique said.
Mr. Boone joined Barry Callebaut in December 2012. He previously worked for Unilever, serving in different senior functions in Oceania, Latin America and Europe. He studied business administration at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
“The appointment of Peter Boone to the position of president and c.e.o. Americas ensures continuity in our global leadership, building upon Dave Johnson’s successful legacy,” Mr. de Saint-Affrique said. “Peter has played a central role in driving Barry Callebaut’s innovation and quality culture, drawing on his past experience in the consumer goods sector, and also in shaping our ambitious sustainability strategy. With his broad expertise and track record since 2012, Peter is well-equipped to further deliver on our strategic agenda in Region Americas.”
Pablo E. Perversi will replace Mr. Boone as chief innovation and quality officer. He worked at Unilever for 24 years, holding a variety of marketing, sales and general management roles. Most recently he was vice-president of foods for Unilever Europe and a Unilever Europe leadership board member.
In one other executive change, Ben De Schryver, president of Asia Pacific since September 2016, was promoted to be a member of the executive committee.
Barry Callebaut manufactures chocolate and cocoa products and has annual sales of about $6.8 billion.
