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The Kraft Heinz Company has announced that Nicolas Amaya will be appointed as president of its North America business following the upcoming departure of current president Pedro Navio.
Navio will step down on 22 February 2026 to pursue other opportunities, Kraft Heinz revealed in a statement yesterday (18 February). Amaya (pictured above) will step into the role on 23 February, overseeing strategy, operations and performance across Kraft Heinz’s largest market.
To ensure a smooth transition, Navio will serve as an advisor to the company through to 6 March. During his eight years with Kraft Heinz, he played a key role in leading multiple businesses and helping position the business for the future.
New president Amaya brings extensive global and North American leadership experience across the CPG industry. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and president of Kellanova North America, where he played a significant role in advancing the group’s commercial strategy, operational performance and organisational transformation.
Kraft Heinz praised his track record of driving profitable growth, strengthening brand portfolios, creating strong relationships with key customers and partners and building high-performing teams, thanks to his disciplined execution and customer-centric approach.
During his tenure with Kellogg, he held a range of leadership positions in the company’s US and Latin America regions across the cereal, frozen and snacks businesses. Prior to Kellogg, he held marketing roles at Unilever Andina in the personal care division.
Steve Cahillane, CEO at Kraft Heinz, commented: “Nico is a proven leader with deep experience driving growth and transformation in complex, competitive markets. As we continue to transform and build momentum across our North America business, Nico brings the right combination of commercial rigour, operational excellence and people leadership to accelerate that progress.”
Cahillane worked closely with Amaya at Kellogg and Kellanova, having joined as Kraft Heinz’s chief executive officer this year following eight years as the cereal and snack giant’s chairman and CEO.
Commeting on his new role, Amaya said: “Kraft Heinz has an iconic portfolio of brands, a strong foundation for growth and a talented team in North America. The opportunity ahead to modernise these brands for today’s consumer is huge, and we’re making the right investments to do so. I’m excited to join the team and deliver.”
