Finance

Kraft Heinz names Nicolas Amaya as president of North America business

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on February 18, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: April 3, 2026

Add as preferred source on Google
Kraft Heinz names Nicolas Amaya as president of North America business
Global Banking & Finance Awards 2026 — Call for Entries

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz named former Kellanova executive Nicolas Amaya as president of its North America business on Wednesday, a week after hitting pause on its plans to split the company.

Kraft Heinz Appoints Nicolas Amaya as North America President

Kraft Heinz Leadership Changes

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz named former Kellanova executive Nicolas Amaya as president of its North America business on Wednesday, a week after hitting pause on its plans to split the company.

Background of Nicolas Amaya

Last week, the packaged food maker, which has been struggling with persistent demand weakness in the U.S., halted its efforts to separate into two entities and announced new investments to boost its business.

Company's Strategic Decisions

Kraft Heinz's new CEO Steve Cahillane, also a former Kellanova executive, said the decision to hit pause on the split was necessary owing to deteriorating conditions in the food industry, though he called the challenges "fixable and within our control".

Impact on North American Operations

Amaya, who has years of experience in working across the consumer packaged goods industry, would be succeeding Pedro Navio, effective February 23.

The company said Amaya would oversee strategy, operations and performance across Kraft Heinz's North American market, its largest revenue generator.

Amaya had most recently served in senior executive roles at Kellanova. He worked closely with Cahillane during his term as CEO at Kellanova until it was acquired by Mars.

(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

Key Takeaways

  • Nicolas Amaya appointed as president of Kraft Heinz North America.
  • Kraft Heinz halts plans to split the company.
  • New CEO Steve Cahillane addresses industry challenges.
  • Amaya to oversee strategy and operations in North America.
  • Amaya has extensive experience in consumer packaged goods.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a corporate strategy?
Corporate strategy refers to the overall plan for a company to achieve its goals and objectives, including decisions on resource allocation, business direction, and competitive positioning.
What is consumer packaged goods?
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are products that are sold quickly at a relatively low cost, typically including items like food, beverages, toiletries, and other consumables.
What is an appointment in a corporate context?
An appointment in a corporate context refers to the formal designation of an individual to a specific position or role within an organization, often involving responsibilities and authority.

Tags

Related Articles

More from Finance

Explore more articles in the Finance category