Kraft Heinz on Tuesday announced that it has named former Kellanova CEO Steve Cahillane as its next chief executive.
Cahillane led Kellanova until its acquisition by Mars Inc. last week. He previously guided the former Kellogg Co. through its split into WK Kellogg and Kellanova, and has worked in senior roles at Nature’s Bounty, Coca-Cola and AB InBev.
Kraft Heinz expects to go through its own separation into two publicly traded companies in the second half of next year. Cahillane will remain CEO of one of the two businesses resulting from the Kraft Heinz split, and the company’s board has started a search for the chief executive of the other company.
“I’ve devoted my entire career to building brands, and the opportunity to do the same with Kraft Heinz’s iconic portfolio is a dream come true,” Cahillane said in the announcement. “I’m confident the planned separation will accelerate the company’s ability to compete and win in today’s environment and unlock the immense opportunity in front of us.”
Cahillane will assume his new role on Jan. 1, and current CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera will remain in an advisory role through early March.
Kraft Heinz also announced that John Cahill, who led Kraft prior to its merger with Heinz, will become chairman of the company’s board. Current Chairman Miguel Patricio will remain on the board.
“Steve is uniquely qualified to lead this organization into the future, and we are delighted he will be taking on the role of CEO,” Patricio said. “His track record and experience in the industry are unparalleled and will be invaluable as we embark on this next chapter.”
