This audio was auto-generated. Please let us know if you have any feedback.
Dive Briefing:
- Barry Callebaut The cocoa processor and chocolate maker said in a statement that Natasha Chen has been named president of its North American operations, effective Sept. 16. She succeeds Ben de Schreiber, who left “to pursue other opportunities.”
- Chen will report to CEO Peter Feld and join the company’s leadership team.
- Barry in July Callebaut said Sales in North America fell 1.4% in the nine months ended May 31, due to lower demand from large food manufacturers. North America accounts for about a third of the company's sales.
Dive Insight:
Chen joins a chocolate ingredient supplier that has spent years studying cocoa, determining flavor profiles and figuring out which fruit is best for which application. At the same time, the company was going through a major shakeup within its leadership team and turmoil in its coca and chocolate divisions.
Chen may not seem to have much experience in the food industry, but she is no stranger to CPG. She most recently oversaw Ecolab’s global healthcare business. Prior to that, she spent more than 20 years at Colgate-Palmolive, where she held a variety of business management and marketing roles in three regions. Her global experience will help the Switzerland-based company expand its U.S. operations at a time when cocoa prices are volatile and ingredient costs are rising for companies that use it.
Feld, who became CEO in 2023, called Chen “a seasoned international leader with a deep understanding of the North American market, digitalization and sustainability who will help us create more impactful services for our North American customers,” in a statement. He added that her “extensive experience in taking customer centricity to the next level and transforming businesses” will prove invaluable to Barry Callebaut.
