Adds Kraft Heinz
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz KHC.O on Tuesday became the latest global consumer goods company to make top-level changes this year, tapping industry veteran and former Kellanova head Steve Cahillane as its new CEO, ahead of a planned split.
Here are some of the major CEO changes among global consumer goods companies in 2025:
Company | Date of Announcement | Details |
Unilever ULVR.L | February 25 | The company ousted chief executive Hein Schumacher, replacing him with finance chief Fernando Fernandez. |
Stanley Black & Decker SWK.N | June 30 | The power tools maker appointed operations chief Christopher Nelson as its next CEO and president, effective October 1, succeeding Donald Allan Jr., who is set to retire. |
Hershey HSY.N | July 8 | Hershey named burger chain Wendy's WEN.O chief Kirk Tanner as its CEO, effective August 18, replacing Michele Buck, who is set to retire. |
Hindustan Unilever HLL.NS | July 10 | Hindustan Unilever named Priya Nair as managing director and CEO, replacing Rohit Jawa well before the completion of his five-year term as the company's chief. |
Kenvue KVUE.N | July 14 | The Band-Aid and Tylenol maker fired its CEO Thibaut Mongon, laying what some investors expect will be the groundwork for an eventual sale of the entire company or pieces of it, and named director Kirk Perry as interim CEO. |
Diageo DGE.L | July 16 | The Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer maker's CEO, Debra Crew, stepped down after two years in the job, with finance chief Nik Jhangiani taking over in the interim. |
Procter & Gamble PG.N | July 28 | Procter & Gamble said CEO Jon Moeller is stepping away from the role, to be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Shailesh Jejurikar. |
Target TGT.N | August 20 | The retailer named longtime company veteran Michael Fiddelke as its CEO, replacing retail industry bigwig Brian Cornell, effective February 1, 2026. |
Nestle NESN.S | September 1 | Nestle dismissed its CEO, Laurent Freixe, a year after appointing him, following an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate that breached the company's code of conduct. Freixe was replaced by Philipp Navratil, CEO of Nestle Nespresso, on September 1. |
Walmart WMT.N | November 14 | The company said Doug McMillon, who has been heading the retail bellwether since 2014, will retire in January 2026. John Furner, McMillon's successor, currently serves as CEO of Walmart U.S. and has held leadership roles at the company. |
Kohl's Corp KSS.N | November 24 | Kohl's Corp named retail veteran Michael Bender as its permanent CEO, after he served as the interim chief since May. Bender replaced Ashley Buchanan, who was fired for a personal relationship with a vendor. |
Coca-Cola KO.N | December 10 | Coca-Cola named COO Henrique Braun as its new CEO, effective March 31, 2026. Braun succeeds James Quincey, who is stepping down after nine years at the helm. |
Altria MO.N | December 11 | Altria announced that CEO Billy Gifford, who has led the tobacco giant since 2020, will retire, effective May 14, 2026. The tobacco giant announced Gifford will be succeeded by finance head Salvatore Mancuso. |
Lululemon Athletica LULU.O | December 11 | Lululemon Athletica LULU.O said its CEO Calvin McDonald will step down in January after about seven years at the helm.The company named its finance chief Meghan Frank and chief commercial officer André Maestrini as co-interim CEOs while it searches for its new boss. |
Kraft Heinz KHC.O | December 16 | Kraft Heinz KHC.O named industry veteran and former Kellanova head, Steve Cahillane as its new CEO, ahead of the packaged food giant's split. Cahillane will join the new role on January 1, succeeding Carlos Abrams-Rivera, who will serve as an advisor until March 6. |
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt, Sanskriti Shekhar and Koyena Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Anil D'Silva and Alan Barona)
((Neil.JKanatt@thomsonreuters.com))