Kraft Heinz on Wednesday named Kellanova executive Nico Amaya as the company’s new North American president.
Amaya joined Kellogg in 2001 and most recently served as senior vice president and president of Kellanova North America. He will take over his new position next week after current Kraft Heinz North America President Pedro Navio steps down to “pursue other opportunities.” Navio will continue in an advisory role through early March.
“Kraft Heinz has an iconic portfolio of brands, a strong foundation for growth and a talented team in North America,” Amaya said in the announcement. “The opportunity ahead to modernize these brands for today’s consumer is huge, and we’re making the right investments to do so.”
Kraft Heinz named Steve Cahillane, another longtime Kellogg and Kellanova executive, as its CEO late last year ahead of a planned split into two separate companies, but Cahillane said last week that the company had paused the separation.
“I worked closely with Nico for many years at Kellogg and Kellanova, and I have great confidence in his ability to lead our North America business as we focus on returning Kraft Heinz to profitable growth,” Cahillane said in a statement.
