Peter Boone (right) will replace David Johnson (left) as Barry Callebaut Americas CEO on Sept. 1.

Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading supplier of chocolate and cocoa products, has announced that Barry Callebaut Americas CEO and President David Johnson will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year on August 31, 2017.

Peter Boone, currently Chief Innovation and Quality Officer and member of the Executive Committee of Barry Callebaut, will take over as CEO and President of Barry Callebaut Americas on September 1.

“On behalf of the executive committee I would like to sincerely thank Dave Johnson for eight highly successful years at the helm of Region Americas,” says Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut AG. “During his tenure, he nearly doubled our sales volume and our profitability in the Americas, shaped Barry Callebaut into the No. 1 industrial chocolate company in Mexico, and created a solid foothold for our company in South America while also building a very strong and cohesive team over the years.”

According to Saint-Affrique, Johnson will remain with the company as a board member until the end of 2017 to ensure a smooth transition and he will remain closely associated as a member of the Advisory Board of Jacobs Holding.

Boone joined Barry Callebaut in December 2012, bringing extensive international experience from different senior functions within Unilever in Oceania, Latin America, and Europe. 

“The appointment of Peter Boone to the position of President and CEO Americas ensures continuity in our global leadership, building upon Dave Johnson’s successful legacy. Peter has played a central role in driving Barry Callebaut’s innovation and quality culture, drawing on his past experience in the consumer goods sector, and also in shaping our ambitious sustainability strategy,” says Saint-Affrique.