Kraft Heinz selects new North America chief
Kraft Heinz said on Wednesday it has tapped Nicolas Amaya to serve as president of its North America business, naming him to the role effective February 23. Amaya will replace Pedro Navio and will be responsible for strategy, operations and performance across Kraft Heinz's North American market, the company said.
The appointment follows the company's decision last week to pause a plan to split into two separate entities. Kraft Heinz, which has been grappling with persistent demand weakness in the U.S., simultaneously announced new investments intended to strengthen its business.
Leadership ties and background
Amaya joins Kraft Heinz after holding senior executive roles at Kellanova. The company noted Amaya worked closely with Steve Cahillane during Cahillane's tenure as CEO at Kellanova until that business was acquired by Mars. Cahillane, who is Kraft Heinz's new chief executive and is also a former Kellanova executive, said the decision to pause the split was driven by deteriorating conditions in the food industry - language he tempered by calling the difficulties "fixable and within our control."
Scope of responsibility
In his new role, Amaya is charged with overseeing the performance of Kraft Heinz's largest revenue-generating market. The company specified that his remit includes setting strategy, running operations and driving results across North America.
Context on corporate strategy
Last week’s announcement to halt a separation of the company came as management cited weakening demand trends in the U.S. food sector. Alongside the pause, Kraft Heinz disclosed plans for additional investments intended to boost its business, while leadership framed current obstacles as manageable under the company’s control.
Promotional note in the original release
The original company messaging included a promotional reference to an AI-driven stock selection tool, citing historical return examples such as Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%). That material positioned the tool as a way to identify stocks with favorable risk-reward profiles based on financial metrics.
Effective date for the leadership transition and all operational responsibilities are as stated by the company. No additional outcomes or implications beyond those disclosed by the company are presented here.