Peter Boone has been named chief executive officer for Barry Callebaut, effective September 1, by the company’s board of directors. Currently president Americas, he will succeed Antoine de Saint-Affrique as CEO. After stepping down at the end of Barry Callebaut’s fiscal year, de Saint-Affrique will be up for election to the board of directors at the company’s annual general meeting.

Steve Woolley, currently vice president and general manager global accounts North America for Barry Callebaut, will succeed Boone as president Americas, effective September 1. In one other executive move, Jo Thys was named president Asia Pacific and a member of the executive committee, effective July 1. Currently Barry Callebaut’s vice president Asia, Middle East and Turkey, he succeeds Ben De Schryver, who became Barry Callebaut’s chief financial officer on January 1.

The executive moves were announced on April 22, the same day Zurich-based Barry Callebaut, a manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products, reported financial results for the six-month period ended Feb. 28. In the first half of the fiscal year, sales volume of 1.07 million tonnes was down 2.9% from 1.10 million tonnes in the first half of the previous year. Sales revenue fell 7.5% to 3.48 million Swiss francs ($3.79 million) from 3.76 million Swiss francs.

“Over the first six months of the fiscal year we have seen continued volume recovery and solid profitability in a still challenging market environment,” de Saint-Affrique says.

Boone joined Barry Callebaut as chief innovation officer in 2012. He gained additional responsibility for quality assurance in June 2013 and for sustainability in November 2015. He has been president Americas since Sept. 1, 2017. The Americas region achieved volume growth and expanded its customer portfolio under Boone’s leadership. He built Barry Callebaut’s specialty and decorations business in North America through the acquisition of the ingredients division of Gertrude Hawk Chocolate.

“Peter’s great track record in driving profitable growth, championing groundbreaking innovation, whilst implementing a solid quality culture, building new markets and segments and, last but not least, his passion for sustainability make him the perfect candidate to become the Group’s new CEO,” says Patrick De Maeseneire, chairman of the board.

A Dutch national, Boone studied business administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Before joining Barry Callebaut, he worked for Unilever in a variety of global and regional roles, rising to chief marketing officer for Australia and New Zealand.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique became CEO of Barry Callebaut on Oct. 1, 2015.

“Antoine is passing the baton to Peter after six years of passionate leadership, which is once more illustrated by the careful succession planning,” De Maeseneire says. “Together with the executive team, Antoine’s ‘smart growth’ execution of the Group’s long-term strategy successfully expanded Barry Callebaut’s global footprint across five continents.”

Woolley joined Barry Callebaut in 2006. He was named vice president sourcing for region Americas in 2012. Strategic initiatives were added to his responsibility in 2017. He developed e-commerce strategy and other strategic growth and value-adding initiatives for the Americas region. Woolley was named vice president and general manager global accounts in 2018.

Woolley received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He worked at Russell Stover Chocolates before joining Barry Callebaut.

Thys became vice president cocoa Africa in September 2017 and gained additional responsibility for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey in September 2020. He is based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He joined Barry Callebaut in 1997 as a graduate trainee and held several positions in operations in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region before moving to the United States in 2006 to become vice president operations and supply chain for the Americas region. In 2010, he moved back to Europe and became vice president operations and supply chain global cocoa.

Thys received an electromechanical engineering degree from Groep T University College in Leuven, Belgium.