Can Hein Schumacher Drive Barry Callebaut's Transformation?

Barry Callebaut Group has appointed Hein Schumacher as its new CEO, effective 26 January 2026, marking a decisive transition from an intense period of internal restructuring to a strategy centred on growth, customer-centricity and financial strength.

The appointment follows an extensive global search and coincides with the upcoming completion of the BC Next Level transformation programme.

The company described Hein as bringing "more than 25 years of global leadership experience in the food industry", with a record of driving growth, shaping winning cultures and creating long-term value.

His arrival comes after a period marked by unprecedented cocoa price volatility, market turbulence and geopolitical challenges.

Discussing his appointment, Hein said: "I am honoured to serve as CEO of Barry Callebaut. Following a period of unprecedented market turbulence, Barry Callebaut is at an exciting juncture.

"While the business continues to navigate market and volume pressures, we have a clear opportunity to return to growth, to strengthen our culture and to deliver a step-up in our business performance.

"I look forward to working with the Barry Callebaut team to delight our customers, strengthen the balance sheet and deliver sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders."

Who is Hein Schumacher?

Born in 1971, Hein brings more than two decades of leadership experience across global food and ingredients businesses. From 2023 to 2025, he served as CEO of Unilever, where he implemented a comprehensive growth plan that sharpened the company's focus on core brands with higher added value and delivered significant shareholder growth.

Prior to Unilever, Hein held senior leadership roles at Royal FrieslandCampina, one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives with roughly 50% of revenues generated in B2B markets.

He served as Chief Financial Officer from 2015 to 2017 and as CEO from 2017 to 2023, leading the company through periods of volatile commodity prices and the COVID crisis.

Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade at HJ Heinz (now Kraft Heinz), including roles as President and CEO of HJ Heinz Asia Pacific and Executive Vice President of HJ Heinz China.

Building on BC Next Level

Hein succeeds Peter Feld, who has led Barry Callebaut since April 2023 with a clear mandate to transform the company into a simpler, leaner and more agile organisation.

Peter will leave the company to pursue other career opportunities but will remain available during the transition, focusing on transferring knowledge related to the BC Next Level programme.

BC Next Level was designed to address market volatility and modernise the business. The strategy emphasises customer-centricity and digitalisation by reorganising the company into five regional divisions, improving speed and service.

It also involved CHF500m in investments to optimise manufacturing, accelerate digital manufacturing, accelerate digital transformation and generate CHF250m in annual savings, while sharpening the portfolio toward higher-margin, specialised products and growth in Asia-Pacific.

Reflecting on the transition, Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of the Group, said: "With the upcoming completion of BC Next Level, the Board and Peter decided that now is the right time for the CEO transition."

Strategy, manufacturing and food innovation ahead

With the transformation phase nearing completion, Hein is set to lead Barry Callebaut into a period focused on aggressive market growth, balance sheet strengthening and deeper customer partnerships.

Strategically, this includes scaling "Gourmet 2.0", expanding premium and specialised offerings such as sugar-free, high-protein and plant-based products and leveraging the optimised manufacturing and digital platforms established under BC Next Level.

The company is also advancing non-cocoa alternatives through partnerships such as Planet A Foods and accelerating AI-powered innovation via collaboration with NotCo AI.

Sustainability remains central under the "Forever Chocolate" framework, encompassing enhanced sourcing and traceability, a Net Zero roadmap to 2050 and future-focused farming initiatives.

Financial priorities under the new leadership include deleveraging, with a target to reduce new debt/ EBITDA below 3.5x, and a return volume and EBIT growth, aiming for a 10% EBIT margin in the medium term.

With Hein taking the helm, Barry Callebaut is shifting from internal transformation toward positioning itself as a trusted advisor and long-term leader in global chocolate and food manufacturing.