Barry Callebaut appoints Hein Schumacher as CEO 

SWITZERLAND – Swiss chocolate and cocoa processor Barry Callebaut has appointed former Unilever executive Hein Schumacher as its new chief executive, effective 26 January 2026. 

Schumacher succeeds Peter Feld, who is stepping down to pursue other career opportunities. 

Feld will remain available to Barry Callebaut during the transition, with a specific focus on knowledge transfer related to the company’s BC Next Level transformation programme. 

Feld said, “As the Board and I discussed, with most initiatives of BC Next Level already implemented, it is a good time to pass the baton to Hein. I do this with pride and gratitude to all who contributed. Barry Callebaut’s future is in good hands with Hein, and I wish Hein all the best in his new role.” 

Schumacher brings more than 25 years of experience in the food sector to Barry Callebaut. 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 helped drive significant shareholder value growth. 

Before leading Unilever, Schumacher held key leadership roles at Royal FrieslandCampina, where he was CEO (2017–2023) and prior to that CFO (2015–2017). 

As CEO, he steered the company through periods of volatile commodity prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, and led a major restructuring that resulted in a more focused business and significant revenue increases. 

Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of Barry Callebaut Group, said: “Hein is a seasoned and decisive leader with a unique blend of expertise in food, B2C/B2B and ingredients, as well as a proven track record in creating significant shareholder value from two CEO positions with Unilever and Royal FrieslandCampina.  

He is the right leader at this stage to chart Barry Callebaut’s next phase of increased customer focus, winning culture and financial strength, based on our fully integrated cocoa and chocolate business model.” 

Schumacher 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.” 

Quarterly Results 

Barry Callebaut also reported quarterly operational results alongside the leadership change. First-quarter volumes for its cocoa products fell 9.9% to 509,401 tonnes, slightly below the 512,000 tonnes forecast in an internal analyst poll. 

Sales revenue for the period amounted to CHF 3,669.4 million (US$4.27 billion), an 8.9% increase in local currencies and 6.4% growth in Swiss francs (CHF), driven largely by higher year-on-year cocoa pricing as cocoa bean prices stabilised. 

Following the results, the company reiterated its outlook for the 2025/26 fiscal year, expecting global chocolate volumes to see a mid single-digit decrease, group profitability to achieve low to mid single-digit EBIT recurring growth in local currencies, and double-digit growth in Profit Before Tax recurring in local currencies. 

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