Barry Callebaut announces CEO succession

Peter Boone to succeed Antoine de Saint-Affrique

26-Apr-2021 - Switzerland

The Board of Directors has appointed Peter Boone as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barry Callebaut Group, effective September 1, 2021. Peter Boone succeeds Antoine de Saint-Affrique, who, after successfully serving as CEO since October 1, 2015, will be stepping down at the end of the Group’s fiscal year. Antoine de Saint-Affrique will be proposed for election to the Board of Directors at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Peter Boone (born 1970, Dutch national) has been President Americas of Barry Callebaut since September 1, 2017, and a member of the Executive Committee since 2012. Under his leadership Region Americas achieved solid, profitable, volume growth and expanded its customer portfolio. Furthermore, in line with the Group’s ‘smart growth’ strategy, Peter Boone strategically built Barry Callebaut’s Specialties & Decorations business in North America through the acquisition of the ingredients division of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates. Peter Boone joined Barry Callebaut as Chief Innovation Officer in 2012. He assumed additional responsibility for Quality Assurance as of June 2013 and for Sustainability as of November 2015.

Before joining Barry Callebaut, Peter Boone worked with Unilever in a variety of global and regional roles, his final role being Chief Marketing Officer Australia and New Zealand. Peter Boone studied Business Administration at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

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Peter’s great track record in driving profitable growth, championing groundbreaking innovation, whilst implementing a solid quality culture, building new markets and segments, and, last but not least, his passion for sustainability, make him the perfect candidate to become the Group’s new CEO. As Barry Calleaut’s current President Americas and former Chief Innovation Officer, Peter’s appointment will ensure continuity and a smooth handover. The Board is very excited that Peter’s strategic talent and people skills can hit the ground running as the new fiscal year kicks off September 1, 2021.

Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of the Board of Barry Callebaut

Patrick De Maeseneire continued:

Antoine is passing the baton to Peter after six years of passionate leadership, which is once more illustrated by the careful succession planning. Together with the Executive Team, Antoine’s ‘smart growth’ execution of the Group’s long term strategy successfully expanded Barry Callebaut’s global footprint across five continents. Under his leadership the Group strengthened its balance sheet and profitability through the rebalancing of the portfolio towards faster growing geographies and a broader range of high quality cocoa and chocolate ingredients. Furthermore, Antoine made Barry Callebaut the industry leader for sustainable cocoa and chocolate through the launch of Forever Chocolate, the Group’s acclaimed plan to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025. Overall, Antoine sharpened the Group’s business model, which allowed Barry Callebaut to successfully weather the unprecedented market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, placing the Group in pole position for continued growth.

Peter Boone will be succeeded as President Americas by Steve Woolley, currently Vice President and General Manager Global Accounts North America for Barry Callebaut (see separate news release).

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