Kraft-Heinz announced Tuesday that former Kellanova CEO Steve Cahillane will lead the company ahead of its planned spinoff next year.
Cahillane will join owner Oscar Mayer as chief executive on January 1. After Kraft Heinz splits into two publicly traded companies, he will serve as CEO of the company it temporarily calls Global Taste Elevation, which will include high-growth brands like Heinz, Philadelphia and Kraft Mac & Cheese.
“These are phenomenal brands that need to be contemporary, shown with a little love and brought back to growth,” Cahillane said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” comparing the opportunity with Kraft Heinz with the one he took at Kellogg.
Cahillane had previously led Kellogg until its own dissolution in 2023. The company separated its sluggish North American cereal business from its high-growth snacking unit, which was later renamed Kellanova. Cahillane remained CEO of Kellanova until Mars acquired the company for $35.9 billion.
Outgoing Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera was originally tapped to run the other company known as North American Grocery. However, he will now serve as advisor until March 6. Abrams-Rivera has been chief executive of the food giant since 2024.
The Kraft Heinz board will launch a search for a chief executive officer to lead the core grocery portfolio, which includes brands like Oscar Mayer and Kraft Singles.
As part of the transition, John Cahill, who was CEO of Kraft when it merged with Heinz a decade ago, will succeed Miguel Patricio as chairman of the board.
Kraft Heinz expects the separation to take place in the second half of 2026. The company announced its separation plans in September, following years of slow sales despite turnaround efforts. The split undoes much of the blockbuster $46 billion merger a decade ago that created one of the world’s largest food companies.
Shares of Kraft Heinz rose 1% in morning trading. The stock has fallen about 20% this year.