Zurich / CH. (bc) After serving as CEO + President of Barry Callebaut Americas since May 2009, David S. Johnson (born 1956) has expressed the desire to retire as per the end of the company’s current fiscal year, August 31, 2017. Dave Johnson joined Swiss Barry Callebaut Group from Michael Foods Inc. where he was CEO and member of the Board; before Michael Foods Dave Johnson held senior positions with Kraft Foods Global Inc. for more than 20 years.
CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique said: «On behalf of the Executive Committee I would like to sincerely thank Dave Johnson for eight highly successful years at the helm of Region Americas. During his tenure, he nearly doubled our sales volume and our profitability in the Americas, shaped Barry Callebaut into the No 1 industrial chocolate company in Mexico and created a solid foothold for our company in South America while also building a very strong and cohesive team over the years. We owe Dave a lot and wish him the very best for his retirement. He will stay on board until the end of 2017 to ensure a smooth handover. Furthermore, Dave will remain closely associated with our company as a member of the Advisory Board of Jacobs Holding that he has recently joined».
To succeed Dave Johnson, the Board of Directors has appointed Peter Boone, currently Chief Innovation + Quality Officer and member of the Executive Committee of Barry Callebaut, effective September 1, 2017. Peter Boone joined Barry Callebaut in December 2012, bringing extensive international experience from different senior functions within Unilever in Oceania, Latin America and Europe. At Barry Callebaut, Peter Boone assumed the additional responsibility for Quality Assurance as of June 2013 and for Sustainability as of November 2015. Peter Boone (born 1970, Dutch national) studied Business Administration at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Effective September 1, 2017, the Board of Directors has appointed Pablo E. Perversi as successor to Peter Boone. In nearly 24 years with Unilever, Pablo Perversi has held a variety of Marketing, Sales and General Management roles in different parts of the world, both in Retail Foods and in Unilever Food Solutions. His most recent position was Vice President Foods Unilever Europe and a Unilever Europe leadership board member. Pablo Perversi (born 1970, Spanish + Argentinean national) studied Industrial Engineering and Economics at the University of Birmingham and also holds an accreditation from Cambridge University in Sustainable Leadership.
Furthermore, reflecting the growing importance of the region for the company, Ben De Schryver, President Asia Pacific since September 2016, has been promoted to member of the Executive Committee as of September 1, 2017. Ben De Schryver started with Barry Callebaut in Belgium in 1999, transferring to Singapore in 2002 as CFO Region Asia Pacific, relocating to Canada as Director Pricing + Customer Services in 2007, before moving on to the company’s new regional head office in Chicago in 2009 where he last served as CFO Americas before being appointed President Asia Pacific as of September 1, 2016. Ben De Schryver (born 1974, Belgian national and a permanent resident of the United States), holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from University College in Ghent, Belgium.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut, said: «The appointment of Peter Boone to the position of President + CEO Americas ensures continuity in our global leadership, building upon Dave Johnson’s successful legacy. Peter has played a central role in driving Barry Callebaut’s innovation and quality culture, drawing on his past experience in the consumer goods sector, and also in shaping our ambitious sustainability strategy. With his broad expertise and track record since 2012, Peter is well equipped to further deliver on our strategic agenda in Region Americas. I am confident that Pablo will blend well into our culture. His proven track record in step-changing growth and creating strategic alignment across all levels to permit flawless execution, together with his extensive market and consumer knowhow and experience in different geographies will allow Pablo to quickly contribute to our «smart growth» strategy, for which innovation is a crucial factor. I am also happy to welcome Ben De Schryver, a true ‘home-grown’ talent with 18 years of service to our company and a representative of the younger generation, to the Executive Committee».
