Finance
Factbox-From Walmart to Nestle, CEO churn sweeps global consumer goods makers
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 29, 2025
4 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 29, 2025
4 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
The article discusses significant CEO changes in global consumer goods companies in 2025, highlighting leadership shifts and their potential impacts.
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz on Tuesday became the latest global consumer goods company to make top-level changes this year, tapping industry veteran and former Kellanova head Steve Cahillane as its new CEO, ahead of a planned split.
Here are some of the major CEO changes among global consumer goods companies in 2025:
Company Date of Details
Announcement
Unilever February 25 The company ousted
chief executive Hein
Schumacher, replacing
him with finance
chief Fernando
Fernandez.
Stanley June 30 The power tools maker
Black & appointed operations
Decker chief Christopher
Nelson as its next
CEO and president,
effective October 1,
succeeding Donald
Allan Jr., who is set
to retire.
Hershey July 8 Hershey named burger
chain Wendy's chief
Kirk Tanner as its
CEO, effective August
18, replacing Michele
Buck, who is set to
retire.
Hindustan July 10 Hindustan Unilever
Unilever named Priya Nair as
managing director and
CEO, replacing Rohit
Jawa well before the
completion of his
five-year term as the
company's chief.
Kenvue July 14 The Band-Aid and
Tylenol maker
fired its CEO Thibaut
Mongon, laying what
some investors expect
will be the
groundwork for an
eventual sale of the
entire company or
pieces of it, and
named director Kirk
Perry as interim CEO.
Diageo July 16 The Johnnie Walker
whisky and Guinness
beer maker's CEO,
Debra Crew, stepped
down after two years
in the job, with
finance chief Nik
Jhangiani taking over
in the interim.
Procter & July 28 Procter & Gamble said
Gamble CEO Jon Moeller is
stepping away from
the role, to be
succeeded by Chief
Operating Officer
Shailesh Jejurikar.
Target August 20 The retailer named
longtime company
veteran Michael
Fiddelke as its CEO,
replacing retail
industry bigwig Brian
Cornell, effective
February 1, 2026.
Nestle September 1 Nestle dismissed its
CEO, Laurent Freixe,
a year after
appointing him,
following an
investigation into an
undisclosed romantic
relationship with a
direct subordinate
that breached the
company's code of
conduct. Freixe was
replaced by Philipp
Navratil, CEO of
Nestle Nespresso, on
September 1.
Walmart November 14 The company said Doug
McMillon, who has
been heading the
retail bellwether
since 2014, will
retire in January
2026. John Furner,
McMillon's successor,
currently serves as
CEO of Walmart U.S.
and has held
leadership roles at
the company.
Kohl's November 24 Kohl's Corp named
Corp retail veteran
Michael Bender as its
permanent CEO, after
he served as the
interim chief since
May. Bender replaced
Ashley Buchanan, who
was fired for a
personal relationship
with a vendor.
Coca-Cola December 10 Coca-Cola named COO
Henrique Braun as its
new CEO, effective
March 31, 2026. Braun
succeeds James
Quincey, who is
stepping down after
nine years at the
helm.
Altria December 11 Altria announced
that CEO Billy
Gifford, who has led
the tobacco giant
since 2020, will
retire, effective May
14, 2026. The tobacco
giant announced
Gifford will be
succeeded by finance
head Salvatore
Mancuso.
Lululemon December 11 Lululemon Athletica
Athletica LULU.O said its CEO
Calvin McDonald will
step down in January
after about seven
years at the helm.The
company named its
finance chief Meghan
Frank and chief
commercial officer
André Maestrini as
co-interim CEOs while
it searches for its
new boss.
December 16 Kraft
Kraft Heinz
Heinz named
industry
veteran and former
Kellanova head, Steve
Cahillane as its new
CEO, ahead of the
packaged food giant's
split.
Cahillane
will join the new
role on January 1,
succeeding Carlos
Abrams-Rivera, who
will serve as an
advisor until March
6.
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt, Sanskriti Shekhar and Koyena Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Anil D'Silva and Alan Barona)
Kraft Heinz named Steve Cahillane as its new CEO, effective January 1, succeeding Carlos Abrams-Rivera, who will serve as an advisor until March 6.
Unilever ousted Hein Schumacher and replaced him with finance chief Fernando Fernandez on February 25.
Nestle dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe following an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate that breached the company's code of conduct.
Doug McMillon, who has been leading Walmart since 2014, will retire in January 2026.
Coca-Cola named COO Henrique Braun as its new CEO, effective March 31, 2026, succeeding James Quincey, who is stepping down after nine years.
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