Refresco appoints former Nestlé Executive Steve Presley as CEO  

UK – Global beverage manufacturer Refresco has announced the appointment of Steve Presley as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective next month.  

Presley will succeed Hans Roelofs, who announced in June his intention to step down after 18 years at the helm. 

Presley joins Refresco with over 30 years of experience at Nestlé, where he held several key leadership positions.  

Most recently, he served as Executive Vice-President and CEO of Zone Americas, overseeing operations across North and Latin America from the company’s headquarters in Switzerland. 

In this role, Presley was responsible for managing more than 100,000 employees across 24 countries and overseeing a network of over 120 manufacturing and distribution sites spanning 20 product categories.  

His broad expertise includes executive leadership, corporate strategy, finance, operations, and manufacturing, offering him a comprehensive view of end-to-end business performance. 

Refresco’s supervisory board chairman, James Cunningham, a partner at KKR, welcomed the appointment, stating that Presley’s global experience, deep industry relationships, and leadership of large-scale operations would be key assets to the company moving forward. 

Presley acknowledged Refresco’s strong industry standing, noting the company’s reputation for delivering quality beverage solutions to both brands and retailers.  

“By focusing on innovation and adapting to evolving customer and market demands, I am confident we can further strengthen Refresco’s value proposition,” he said. 

Refresco, which operates over 70 manufacturing facilities across Europe, North America, Australia, and Mexico, is a major producer of branded and private-label soft drinks, fruit juices, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages. 

In 2024, the company reported revenues of €5.99 billion (US$7.04 billion), a 1% increase from the previous year.  

However, overall beverage volumes declined to 13.83 billion litres, down from 14.25 billion litres in 2023. Carbonated soft drinks and water each contributed 26% of total volume, with sports and energy drinks accounting for 15%. 

In May 2025, Refresco agreed to acquire Norway-based soft drinks manufacturer Telemark Kildevann (TKV), which operates production sites in Fyresdal and Aurskog and supplies retailers in Norway and Sweden. 

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