Steve Cahillane Appointed CEO of Kraft Heinz as Company Prepares for Planned Split

Kraft Heinz on Tuesday appointed former Kellanova chief executive Steve Cahillane as its new CEO as the company prepares to separate next year. Cahillane will take office on Jan. 1 and, after the planned split into two publicly traded companies, will lead the unit provisionally named Global Taste Elevation, which will include higher‑growth brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia and Kraft Mac & Cheese.

“These are phenomenal brands that need to be contemporized, shown a little bit of love and brought back to growth,” Cahillane said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” comparing the opportunity at Kraft Heinz to the work he led at Kellogg. Cahillane oversaw Kellogg’s separation in 2023, when the company divided its slower North American cereal business from a faster‑growing snacking division renamed Kellanova; he remained CEO of Kellanova until its acquisition by Mars for $35.9 billion.

Carlos Abrams‑Rivera, the current Kraft Heinz CEO who had been expected to lead the other company, North American Grocery, will instead serve as an advisor through March 6. Abrams‑Rivera has been CEO since 2024. The Kraft Heinz board will begin a search for a chief executive to run the grocery staples portfolio, which includes Oscar Mayer and Kraft Singles.

As part of the leadership changes, John Cahill—who served as Kraft’s CEO during the merger with Heinz a decade ago—will replace Miguel Patricio as chair of the board. Kraft Heinz expects the separation to be completed in the second half of 2026; the company first announced the breakup plans in September after years of sluggish sales despite turnaround efforts. The split effectively unwinds much of the $46 billion merger that created one of the world’s largest food companies.

Kraft Heinz shares rose 1% in morning trading; the stock has fallen roughly 20% year to date.