SWITZ: Unilever's Boone to head Barry Callebaut R&D

Barry Callebaut appoints Peter Boone as new Chief Innovation Officer

New member of the Executive Committee

Peter Boone new Chief Innovation Officer (CIO)

Boone brings comprehensive Business-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business marketing experience as well as knowledge in innovation/R&D and gourmet

Zurich, Switzerland, October 25, 2012 - Barry Callebaut AG, the world's leading manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products, announced today it has appointed Peter Boone (born 1970; Dutch national) as the Group's new Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) effective December 3, 2012. In his function, Mr. Boone will be a member of the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the company. He will report directly to the CEO of Barry Callebaut, Juergen Steinemann.

Juergen Steinemann, CEO of Barry Callebaut, said: "I am happy Peter is joining us. He brings a best-in-class strategic marketing background in B-to-C business, and combines this with extensive experience also in B-to-B, innovation and gourmet areas. All this fits well with the Chief Innovation Officer's role."

Since November 2010, Peter Boone worked as Vice President Marketing Australasia and was a member of the regional executive board of Unilever. In his function as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), he was responsible for the marketing of all brands in all categories in Australia and New Zealand.

Peter Boone started his career at the Information Services division of ITT Corp., where he worked in various marketing roles. In 1996, he joined Unilever as a Strategy Analyst at the Head Office in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). Following this, he worked as marketing and new venture director on two of Unilever's foods brands in the Netherlands before becoming Vice President Marketing & Sales Latin America Foods Solutions, based in Sao Paulo (Brazil). In this function he was a member of the Global Innovation Team and gathered comprehensive working experience in the business-to-business gourmet area.

Peter Boone brings wide international experience, having lived and worked in Europe, Latin America and Australasia, and been responsible for many markets across the globe.

Peter Boone holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (Ph.D.) from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). He is a Dutch national, married and has three children.

Original source: Barry Callebaut