High-profile leadership shifts shake up sector

The food and beverage landscape is experiencing a rapid realignment of its leadership ranks.

Across Europe and the UK, major consumer brands, agricultural cooperatives, and supply-chain tech innovators have announced critical executive appointments designed to navigate changing consumer demands, international trade complexities, and an accelerating push toward digital and sustainable operations.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the latest power moves across the industry, who these leaders are, and what they will do in their new positions.

Brand marketing & commercial overhauls

Justin Billingsley – chief marketing officer, Nomad Foods
Europe’s leading frozen food company, Nomad Foods, has appointed Justin Billingsley as its new chief marketing officer with immediate effect. He joins the Executive Team and will report directly to CEO Dominic Brisby.

Billingsley brings more than 30 years of experience, evenly balanced between brand leadership and marketing services leadership roles within complex, consumer-driven organisations.

He will spearhead a newly unified and strengthened marketing function that spans brand and portfolio strategy, communications, research and development (R&D), and innovation. His primary objective is to drive stronger commercial outcomes and build long-term brand equity across Nomad Foods’ iconic European portfolio.

Heineken’s consolidated global agency ecosystem
As part of its broader EverGreen 2030 Growth Strategy and the “Freddyai” commercial transformation, Heineken has completely overhauled its global marketing agency ecosystem.

Led by Bram Westenbrink (chief commercial officer) and Jorn Socquet (senior director global brand impact & growth transformation), the brewer has consolidated its global creative roster into just three holding companies.

This streamlined roster will manage the marketing and brand-building deployment for global and power brands including Amstel, Birra Moretti, Desperados, and Tiger. The goal is to drive deeper collaboration, maximise operational efficiency, and establish creative consistency and speed across its entire global and local brand footprint.

Agri-food, dairy & retail governance

Stanislao Giuseppe Fabbrino – chairman, Granarolo Group
Following the approval of the company’s 2025 financial statements—which saw turnover grow 5.4% to €1,813 million — longstanding chairman Gianpiero Calzolari stepped down to facilitate a generational handover. The board of directors subsequently appointed Stanislao Giuseppe Fabbrino as the new chairman of Granarolo.

Fabbrino is an engineer holding an MBA with extensive background in food operations. He has served as chairman and CEO of the Fruttagel agricultural cooperative since 2011, CEO and managing director of Deco Industrie since 2022, and is an existing board member of both Granarolo and the Granlatte Cooperative.

Fabbrino takes the helm of one of Italy’s premier food manufacturers to steer the group through its next phase of industrial growth, balancing innovation and internationalisation with regional community responsibility.

Antonio Gizzi – general manager, DalterFood Group
Italian dairy leader DalterFood Group has named Antonio Gizzi as its new general manager. He takes over from Andrea Guidi, who chose to pursue a career outside the group after steering the company to a record €200 million turnover in 2025.

Gizzi has been with DalterFood since 2018, previously serving as group sales manager with additional responsibilities overseeing research and development. He possesses extensive experience in international market management and large-scale retail relations.

Handed the reins during a strategic year marked by the launch of a new facility in Parma and the acquisition of a French commercial subsidiary, Gizzi will focus on managerial continuity. He is tasked with driving international expansion, executing planned industrial investments, and nurturing internal talent.

Ben Loughrey – chair, Farm Retail Association (FRA)
The Farm Retail Association (FRA) has appointed Ben Loughrey as its new chair, succeeding Emma Mosey after her three-year tenure.

Loughrey runs the retail, event, farm park, and wedding barn operations of his family’s diversified business, Over Farm, in Gloucestershire, which he joined 10 years ago.

Taking office as of March 2026, Loughrey will lead the FRA’s efforts to promote best practices, growth, and networking opportunities for farm shops, farmers markets, and rural visitor attractions across the UK. He aims to help members implement creative and innovative ways to make local farming experiences highly engaging for consumers.

International trade & regional operations

Ian Duddy – international director, Scotch Whisky Association (SWA)
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed former UK Ambassador Ian Duddy as its new international director, stepping in at a vital period of shifting global trade pressures.

Duddy has over 25 years of experience in senior government and diplomatic roles, including serving as the British Ambassador to Uruguay (2016–2020), interim ambassador to Chile (2020–2021), and most recently, chief executive to the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.

Duddy will lead the SWA’s international engagement strategies across more than 160 markets. His core mandate will involve tackling global barriers to trade, improving market access, and unlocking growth opportunities in emerging markets like India and China to counteract ongoing tariff pressures in the United States.

Shinji Yamaguchi – managing director, Yakult UK & Ireland
To coincide with its 30th anniversary in the UK and a relocation to collaborative new offices at Power Road Studios in west London, Yakult has announced a leadership transition. Shinji Yamaguchi takes over as managing director for the UK & Ireland region.

Yamaguchi succeeds Hiroaki Yoshimura, who has transitioned into the role of managing director of Yakult Europe based in the Netherlands.

Yamaguchi will guide Yakult’s localised operations into its next era, focusing on flexible corporate collaboration, workforce investment, and accelerating consumer education around gut health and product innovation.

Food-tech, supply chain & sustainability
Itzik Saig – chairman of the board, PhenOlives
Following a new $270,000 funding injection from venture investor OurCrowd, Israeli food-tech startup PhenOlives has named industry veteran Itzik Saig as its new chairman of the Board.

Saig brings decades of global consumer-goods experience, highlighted by his previous roles as CEO of Nestlé Israel (Osem) and CEO of Nestlé New Zealand.

Saig joins the circular-economy start-up just as it operates the world’s first commercial, fully automated line converting olive waste (pomace) into nutritious, high-fibre olive flour. He will guide PhenOlives’ international commercialisation strategy, oversee the target of scaling global orders beyond 100 tons in 2026, and assist in selecting the company’s first European mill installation for 2027.

Zoli Gombosi – senior vice president of engineering, TraceGains
Food and beverage source-to-shelf compliance platform TraceGains has appointed Zoli Gombosi as senior vice president of engineering.

Gombosi has spent over 25 years implementing enterprise-scale data management and AI initiatives, holding prior leadership roles at tech pillars Oracle, Informatica, and Reltio.

Partnering with product leadership, Gombosi will direct TraceGains’ global engineering teams to accelerate AI adoption across product development. His focus will be scaling intelligent workflows, modernizing product delivery, and advancing data integrations with the wider Veralto ecosystem (including Esko and the recently acquired GlobalVision) to help brands automate packaging specifications and carbon intelligence.

 further reinforcing the company’s continued investment in its European growth strategy. Hélène joins TraceGains as account executive, and in her new role, she will focus primarily on the French market while also contributing to broader initiatives across the European region. 

Corporate transitions & temporary appointments

Bent K. Axelsen – interim CEO, Elopak
Following the resignation of permanent CEO Thomas Körmendi, the Board of Directors at packaging manufacturer Elopak has appointed its Chief Financial Officer, Bent K. Axelsen, to step up as interim CEO effective May 8, 2026. Concurrently, director of finance & tax Ola Buarøy steps in as interim CFO.

Axelsen joined Elopak as CFO in 2019 and carries a deep operational knowledge of the packaging firm’s corporate and financial structure.

Working under the guidance of board chair Dag Mejdell, Axelsen will provide steady management continuity and ensure the company’s strategic priorities and sustainability initiatives remain unchanged while the executive recruitment process concludes, which is expected by Q2 2026.