ZURICH, Switzerland — Barry Callebaut named former Unilever boss Hein Schumacher as its next chief executive as the cocoa and chocolate supplier reported a sharper-than-expected first-quarter volume drop, Jan. 21, 2026.
Sales volume fell 9.9% to 509,401 tonnes in the September-to-November quarter ended Nov. 30, 2025, below the 512,000-tonne analyst forecast in a company-compiled consensus, as high cocoa prices and softer demand weighed on orders. The company reaffirmed its outlook for the financial year, according to a Reuters report.
Barry Callebaut CEO transition set for Jan. 26
Schumacher will become Barry Callebaut CEO effective Jan. 26, replacing Peter Feld, who will leave “to pursue other career opportunities,” the company said in an ad hoc announcement. Feld is expected to remain available during the handover, with a focus on transferring knowledge tied to the BC Next Level transformation program.
Chairman Patrick De Maeseneire said the board was “delighted to welcome Hein Schumacher as Barry Callebaut’s next CEO.” Schumacher said, “I am honored to serve as CEO of Barry Callebaut,” and framed the task as rebuilding momentum after “unprecedented market turbulence.”
Barry Callebaut CEO inherits demand pressure and an uneven start to fiscal 2025/26
The Barry Callebaut CEO change comes as higher cocoa and chocolate pricing continues to ripple through customer orders and consumer demand. In the company’s first-quarter key sales figures update, revenue rose to 3.67 billion Swiss francs (up 8.9% in local currencies) even as volumes fell, details published in a press release.
Group volume: 509,401 tonnes, down 9.9% year over year.
Global Cocoa volume: down 22.0%, as the company prioritized higher-return segments amid weaker demand.
Sales revenue: 3.67 billion Swiss francs, up 8.9% in local currencies.
The update also cited a temporary production pause at its St. Hyacinthe, Canada, facility due to a technical malfunction that has been resolved. For the incoming Barry Callebaut CEO, the near-term test will be stabilizing volumes while pursuing deleveraging and the final stretch of BC Next Level.
Continuity: this is the latest turn in a longer reset
Feld took over in April 2023 after Barry Callebaut made a leadership change amid a tough operating backdrop, as reported by Food Business News. Since then, the group has faced repeated disruptions tied to cocoa-price volatility and customer pushback on price increases.
In January 2025, Barry Callebaut reported a first-quarter volume decline of 2.7% and cut its annual volume outlook as clients delayed orders to renegotiate contracts, Reuters reported. By April 2025, it downgraded its forecast again and said some benefits from BC Next Level would take longer to show up, according to another Reuters report.
Barry Callebaut reiterated its fiscal 2025/26 outlook, with management expecting a mid-single-digit decline in group volume and improvement later in the year. Investors will be watching whether the new Barry Callebaut CEO can bring greater predictability to orders and execution as cocoa markets remain volatile.
Additional coverage: FoodBev Media also reported on Schumacher’s appointment and the first-quarter volume miss.
