Peter Boone resigns as Barry Callebaut CEO after over a decade with the business
Barry Callebaut's Peter Boone speaking recently at the launch of its Second Generation Chocolate. Pic: Barry Callebaut
Barry Callebaut has confirmed that CEO Peter Boone has resigned with immediate effect, with the company stating it was a decision ‘made for personal reasons,’ reports Neill Barston.
The key chocolate and cocoa business thanked him for over a decade of service, including having headed-up its US operations until being appointed to lead the firm in September 2021, with Peter Feld (pictured below), formerly CEO of Jacobs Holdings, confirmed as his successor.
Having gained more than 30 years experience in consumer goods markets, the 57 year-old German national was welcomed to the company by Barry Callebaut’s management team, with its board of directors signing off his appointment.
Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: “We are delighted that Peter Feld, a seasoned leader with over 30 years’ experience at top global consumer goods and services companies, is joining Barry Callebaut.
“His track record with international brands is exceptional. In addition, he has many years of experience in the food industry. This unique combination makes him the ideal person to further develop Barry Callebaut successfully with a focus on sustainable growth.”
As the company noted, Feld has attained leadership experience in companies on almost every continent. He headed GfK, one of the world’s leading market research companies, and WMF Group, a leading premium cookware and professional automatic coffee machine maker for private and professional customers, and successfully developed both companies further, concentrating on customer centricity, digitisation, and corporate culture to drive future readiness.
In addition, he gained decades of experience in leading positions in the consumer goods industry, namely at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Beiersdorf.
Furthermore, as former Vice President of the German Brands Association, he has also played a key role in driving forward the topic of sustainable development for the industry. Feld holds a Master in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen.
Commenting on his appointment, Feld said: “It is a great honour to assume responsibility as CEO of Barry Callebaut. Chocolate is a life-long passion, even more so as I started my career in the food industry. I am very much looking forward to bringing my leadership experience to Barry Callebaut and am excited about writing the next chapter of our success story together with the entire team.”
Patrick De Maeseneire added a note of thanks to Peter Boone, who recently oversaw the company’s launch of its second generation chocolate at a special event in Venice, Italy (main image). He said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Peter Boone for his more than ten years of service to Barry Callebaut. As a next step, he has decided to set up life closer to home to be able to spend more time with his family. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours.”