Nestle reorganizes infant nutrition business, changes Executive Board

15 Nov 2017 --- The Nestlé Board of Directors has announced a change to the organization of the infant nutrition business at Nestlé to further improve the company’s “ability to win in this high-growth category.” Additionally, it will change its Executive Board, replacing its Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer and adjusting to the departure of its Deputy Executive Vice President in charge of Nestlé Nutrition. Effective January 1, 2018, infant nutrition will move from the globally managed Nestlé Nutrition to a regionally managed business. The change does not apply to other Nestlé businesses, the company adds.

A dedicated Strategic Business Unit (SBU) will be created to retain the strengths of Nestlé’s global nutrition strategy, according to the company. The SBU will manage core global functions including science-based innovation, quality management, compliance, and global manufacturing capacity.

A Nutrition Business Head will be appointed for each of Nestlé’s three zones to implement the global strategy in local markets. The Nutrition Business Heads will have operational and financial responsibility, reporting to the respective Zone CEO.

Nestlé asserts that the new organization will allow the company’s infant nutrition business to deliver accelerated organic growth and realize further efficiency gains. The new structure, considered more agile and efficient, is designed to allow it to respond faster to rapidly changing local consumer preferences, evolving regulation, and customer and channel demand for tailor-made solutions.

Nestlé was founded more than 150 years ago with the development of a breakthrough infant food, and the company insists that infant nutrition remains central to its strategy for sustainable value creation. The company is increasingly focusing capital spending on advancing its high-growth categories. In addition to infant nutrition, these include coffee, petcare and bottled water.

Nestlé Nutrition was created in 2006 to strengthen Nestlé’s infant nutrition segment. The company notes that it has delivered sustained growth and margin expansion, while successfully integrating and leveraging the Gerber and Wyeth acquisitions. It has achieved recognized leadership in compliance with the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes (BMS). Nestlé is the first BMS manufacturer to have been included in the FTSE4Good Index.

Executive board changes
Nestlé has also announced that Stefan Catsicas, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, has decided to pursue entrepreneurial and venture capital activities outside of the company. Since joining in 2013, Stefan Catsicas is reported to have led Nestlé Research through considerable change, improving alignment with business and operations, promoting scientific breakthroughs and leveraging cross-discipline discoveries.

He will leave Nestlé effective December 31, 2017, but it is noted that he will maintain a strong relationship with the company in the coming years through an advisory role in science and technology areas related to the Group’s priorities.

The Nestlé Board of Directors has appointed Stefan Palzer as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Nestlé, effective January 1, 2018. Stefan Palzer is currently Head of the Nestlé Research Center, and the company adds that he is recognized as one of the leading global experts in food engineering and materials science.

Stefan Palzer joined the Nestlé Group in 2000. He held positions of increasing responsibility at the Nestlé Product Technology Center (PTC) in Singen, at the Nestlé Research Center, and as Head of the Nestlé PTC in York. In March 2013, he took over the role of Global R&D Manager in the Beverage SBU. He has been Head of the Nestlé Research Center since 2016.

Stefan Palzer has significantly contributed to a number of key innovations across product categories at Nestlé with his scientific expertise, according to the company. It is therefore said that his ability to lead rapid and meaningful product innovation will help Nestlé to accelerate organic growth by capitalizing on recent key consumer trends.

Meanwhile, Heiko Schipper, Deputy Executive Vice President in charge of Nestlé Nutrition, has decided to pursue other interests outside of Nestlé. He will leave the company effective December 31, 2017.

Heiko Schipper was appointed Global Business Head Infant Nutrition in 2013 and Deputy Executive Vice President in charge of Nestlé Nutrition in 2014. Under his leadership, Nestlé Nutrition delivered sustained growth and margin improvement. It also achieved leadership in the valued China market by leveraging the newly acquired Wyeth Nutrition brands and the Nestlé brand portfolio, the company adds.

Heiko Schipper’s position on the company’s Executive Board will not be replaced, following the change in the organization of the infant nutrition business.