Ferrero joins the big F&B CEO shake-up

Ferrero joins food and beverage leadership shake-up – summary

• Industry faces widespread leadership upheavals across major global food and beverage companies
• Ferrero scraps traditional CEO role and adopts dual leadership structure
• New model splits responsibilities across core categories and growth platforms
• Alessandro Nervegna leads Ferrero Core leveraging decades shaping flagship brands
• Lapo Civiletti oversees expanding ice cream and WK Kellogg Co operations

The past year has been a revolving door of food and beverage CEOs, and it’s included some of the biggest names in the business.

First up was Unilever’s Hein Schumacher, who stepped down after just 18 months in the role. And the reason was thinly veiled, with chairman Ian Meakins declaring there was “much further to go in delivering best-in-class results”. Schumacher was swiftly replaced by Fernando Fernandez.

This was followed by the abrupt and extremely secretive exit of supermarket chain Kroger’s CEO Rodney McMullen – we’re still trying to get to the bottom of what the company meant when it said an investigation found McMullen’s personal conduct “inconsistent” with the company’s ethics policies. Any ideas?

Next up was the departure of much admired Michele Buck from Hershey. No scandal here, just the decision to retire. She was succeeded by ex-Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner.

Then came the record-scratch moment of Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe’s demise. The disgraced Frenchman was fired following an “undisclosed romantic relationship” with a direct subordinate, leading to the promotion of then-Nespresso CEO Philipp Navratil.

But that wasn’t the only scandal to shock the industry that week – a mere three days after Freixe’s ousting, drinks giant Suntory’s CEO, Takeshi Niinami, was ousted over allegations of drug use.

And, as 2025 was drawing to a close, and amid a possible break-up, Kraft Heinz replaced CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera with Steve Cahillane.

Kicking 2026 off with a bang, the world’s biggest chocolate maker Barry Callebaut announced the appointment of its third CEO in just five years – a name we’ve already mentioned in this article – former Unilever chief Hein Schumacher. Schumacher’s entry followed the quiet exit of Peter Feld, with a statement saying the Board and Peter considered it “the right time for a CEO transition”. But that narrative was blown out of the water when it was revealed the decision was actually linked to a disagreement over potential plans for Barry Callebaut to separate its cocoa business.

Meanwhile this month, Coca-Cola is saying a cordial goodbye to current CEO James Quincey – although not completely as he’ll be taking on the role of executive chairman – and hello to Henrique Braun.

But the changes don’t stop there.

Just as the industry is catching its breath, another heavyweight has stepped into the reshuffling spotlight. This time it’s Ferrero – a company usually known for keeping things tightly under wraps – making one of the boldest structural shifts yet.

In a move that’s less “new CEO” and more “rip up the org chart,” Ferrero has decided to scrap the top job entirely and rethink how its global leadership operates.

Ferrero joins the CEO shake-out

Ferrero has done away with the idea of having an overall company CEO and is instead appointing two new senior positions to replace it – both of which will report directly to Ferrero International’s president, Giovanni Ferrero.

• Alessandro Nervegna – currently chief strategy and innovation officer – will become CEO of Ferrero Core, a division responsible for driving the Group’s core categories, including Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery, and Better-For-You
• Lapo Civiletti – currently CEO of the Ferrero Group – will become president of Ferrero Ice Cream and WK Kellogg Co., alongside his position as vice president of Ferrero International

The move, it appears, is aimed at driving growth without losing what makes Ferrero unique and allows the family to keep a close eye on operations.

“Giovanni Ferrero, as President of Ferrero International, will continue to guarantee the Group entrepreneurial leadership,” says a spokesperson for the confectionery giant.

Ferrero’s leadership strategy

Ferrero’s overhaul doesn’t just swap one chief for another – it redraws the entire leadership map.

Stepping in to steer the company’s most important or “Core” categories is Alessandro Nervegna.

With more than 30 years in the industry – and most of those inside Ferrero – Nervegna has been a central architect behind the strategy and innovation powering Kinder, Nutella, and Ferrero specialties.

“His deep understanding of Ferrero’s categories and long-standing international experience position him well to continue strengthening the Group’s core business,” says Ferrero.

Meanwhile, Lapo Civiletti is taking charge of Ferrero Ice Cream and WK Kellogg Co., while continuing as vice president on the Ferrero International board. The businesses have been expanding at breakneck speed, through acquisitions like Ice Cream Factory Comaker, Wells Enterprises and WK Kellogg Co., and now demand “specialised expertise” to consolidate and scale them further.

“These changes are part of Ferrero’s ongoing evolution as the company continues to grow,” says a spokesperson for the company. “As a privately held, family-owned company, Ferrero continues to take a long-term approach to growth, ensuring the organisation and governance structure evolve to support future ambitions.”

Rethinking the CEO model

Ferrero’s structural shake‑up lands at a moment when the entire food and beverage sector is questioning what effective leadership even looks like.

After a year of shock exits, swift appointments and high‑stakes missteps across the industry, the traditional single‑chief model is starting to show its cracks.

Ferrero, however, hasn’t waited for a crisis to hit. By splitting the top job into two powerful, tightly defined roles – and keeping the family firmly steering the long‑term vision – the company is quietly proposing a new template for stability and growth in a hyper‑complex market.

And the rest of the industry will be watching closely. As portfolios balloon, acquisitions accelerate and consumer expectations shift faster than ever, the all-powerful CEO approach may no longer be fit for purpose.

Ferrero’s move suggests that the future of leadership in food and drink might lie not in finding the perfect chief executive, but in distributing leadership where it can be most effective.

If the model delivers, we might well see more global giants following suit.