Multinational food concern Danone announced the appointment of Antoine de Saint-Affrique as its chief executive, effective Sept. 15. The decision approved by the company’s board followed a “rigorous selection process,” Danone said.
De Saint-Affrique comes to Danone from global chocolate-maker and cocoa-processor Barry Callebaut, where he had been chief executive since 2015. He previously held senior executive positions at Unilever, where he led its food division as president between 2011 and 2015.
Before serving at Unilever, he was vice president of marketing and a partner at Amora Maille, a food company that was acquired under a leveraged buyout from the Danone Group.
De Saint-Affrique succeeds Emmanuel Faber, who departed the company in March.
Faber was Danone’s chairman and chief executive 2015. Véronique Penchienati-Bosetta, chief executive of Danone International, and Shane Grant, chief executive of Danone North America, were appointed to jointly lead the business in the interim. Gilles Schnepp was named the chairman of the board.
“As a board we have delivered on our promise to search and find swiftly the best person to lead Danone through the next phase of our evolution,” Schnepp said.
Danone’s board of directors said it will propose de Saint-Affrique as a new member at the next annual shareholders’ meeting in April 2022.
