Barry Callebaut reveals major focus for growth global strategy

The CEO of Barry Callebaut, Hein Schumacher has confirmed a core strategy for driving the business forward built upon backing its flagship gourmet division, as well as prioritising financial stability and delivering premium offerings, reports Neill Barston.

Since his appointment at the start of the year following a period of key industry turbulence and cocoa price volatility, the firm’s leader has expressed optimism in navigating core operating tests.

Schumacher (pictured below) had inherited the business amid a comparatively challenge moment, with its first six-month sales down some 7.3% to CHF 6.75 billion, though net profits were in fact up by €89 million for the period.

As Confectionery Production previously covered, the company’s outgoing CEO Peter Feld had reportedly been open to the business splitting the combined chocolate and cocoa operations – which the firm’s management had not wished to sanction, given that the firm had built more than three decades of experience as the largest single operation in the sector.

Hein Schumacher took over as CEO at Barry Callebaut at a challenging period for the business. Pic: Barry Callebaut

In response, with its Focus for Growth strategy, built around making gains in ten core business areas, the company has re-affirmed its commitment to its entire range of confectionery interests, led by its gourmet Callebaut segment – which, as reported is once again sponsoring the World Chocolate Masters event. This has offered some of the sector’s leading lights the opportunity to make a significant impact with what has become a major showcase for the artisan confectionery market.

Linked to this, as showcased at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, the business appeared under its core banner tagline of “Masters of Taste” which demonstrated the company’s market positioning as a leader in developing premium offerings.

As in previous editions, the company offered visitors to its stand the opportunity to sample some of its key gourmet ranges (see our exclusive video report, featuring an exclusive with Laura Bergan, director of marketing for the region), discussing its progress, and partnership with Planet A Foods, which has devised a non-cocoa based chocolate-like product series, which will featuring as part of our World Confectionery Conference Q&A discussion on sustainability in the confectionery sector and its related supply chains including the cocoa industry.

Speaking on its latest strategy, Hein Schumacher, CEO, believed that the business held strong prospects ahead in the second half of 2026, as it seeks to revitalise its global activities.

He said: “Focus for Growth marks a shift toward sharper investment choices combined with driving operating discipline across the Group. Following a period of unprecedented industry disruption and transformation, we must first stabilise our fundamentals, restore customer service and prioritize customer-centricity. At the same time, we are accelerating our focus on higher-value and differentiated solutions for everyday chocolatey occasions.

“By focusing on ten must-win markets, prioritising Gourmet, scaling select Specialties and strengthening our premium offerings across the portfolio, we aim to drive above market volume and revenue growth with enhanced profit and returns. Further, we will continue to diversify our sourcing portfolio as the world’s largest cocoa bean processor to safeguard future supply security and enhance operational resilience.”

Growth targets
According to the company, it has targeted growth of between 2-4% volume growth, id-to-high single-digit earnings, and ‘low-teens profit’ as it continues to stake out a renewed claim to market leadership in premium segments – which have remained a core profitable element of the business.

In addition, the company has promised ‘a relentless focus to deliver a step-change in customer service,” backed by investment in some of its core markets to drive growth further.

Strong evidence of the latter was seen with a sum of €250 million being placed into enhancing production facilities at its flagship manufacturing site at Wieze, Belgium, which has been a major hub for the company, including seeing the development and production of its ruby chocolate series.

Elsewhere around the world, the company has also identified North America as a core area for enhancing its fortunes. 

This has included scaling the firm’s operations at its major plants in Brantford and Pennsauken sites, and strengthening the Group’s Midwest presence, alongside capacity expansion in select emerging markets.

In terms of wider market conditions, the company, as with the wider sector, has navigated cocoa pricing that has seen comparative highs of $12,000 a tonne, drop significantly to around $3,000 within the past few months. In its forward projections, the business asserted a working position of the market now having reached a relative point of stability at that lower mark – though as conditions have proved in recent years, there remain few guarantees that commodities may shift in either direct, given ongoing challenges in producing nations including Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Both countries have faced continued tests including environmental challenges linked to climate change, as well as crop disease impacting on yields, as well as the industry’s wider issues of concerns within farming communities over an ageing farming workforce that has worked for a sustained period on poverty line wages – despite industry efforts to raise levels of pay to living income standards, with pressure continuing in the region.

Despite such key tests, Barry Callebaut has pinned its fortunes focusing on ‘quality, safety and sustainability’ which involves devising a growth accelerator coalition, an internal plan based on co-creation, as well project ownership to help foster a collaborative environment across its global businesses.