Kraft Heinz plans to combine its Canadian and U.S. businesses to form a “North America Zone.” As a result of the change, the company is also making leadership changes, including current Kraft Heinz Canada president Bruno Keller assuming a new position as president of Latin America.
The new business entity will come into effect in the second fiscal quarter of 2022.
Kraft Heinz says the move is meant to advance the company’s long-term, sustainable growth plans—which were first outlined at its Investor Day event in September 2020—by bringing increased agility to its innovation agenda, operations, and go-to-market approach. The U.S. and Canada businesses accounted for approximately 80 per cent of Kraft Heinz’s 2020 consolidated net sales.
“As consumer, customer, and employee needs change, we must be in a position to anticipate, adjust, and respond with speed,” says Miguel Patricio, CEO of Kraft Heinz. “Combining our U.S. and Canada businesses—two dynamic Zones—gives us a distinct advantage and will produce faster, more effective results so we can continue investing in our strategic plan and driving sustainable growth. While this is an evolution to our structure, it is part of a broader revolution in how we will work at Kraft Heinz going forward.”
The new North America Zone will be led by Carlos Abrams-Rivera, currently U.S. Zone president. The North America Zone structure will include three commercial business units that will be organized around the company’s consumer-driven product platforms and geographic needs, including:
- Taste, Meals, and Away From Home will be led by Pedro Navio, currently President of Latin America, and includes the Taste Elevation and Easy Meals Made Better consumer platforms as well as the U.S. foodservice and ingredient businesses
- Fresh, Beverages, and Desserts will be led by Steve Cornell, currently President – Enhancers, Specialty, and Away From Home, and includes the Fast Fresh Meals, Easy Indulgent Desserts, Real Food Snacking, and Flavorful Hydration consumer platforms
- Canada and North America Coffee will be led by Adam Butler, currently President – Kids, Snacks, and Beverages
As part of the changes, Kraft Heinz has appointed Robert Scott as president of research and development, North America.
