Lipton Teas and Infusions has picked Pierre Laubies as its new CEO.
Laubies steps in to lead the tea and herbal-drinks group after being chairman of the company’s supervisory board since 2022.
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He has also been interim CEO for the past six months, replacing Nathalie Roos who stepped down as chief executive in September.
The company said it had decided to formalise Laubies’ appointment as it saw “maintaining continuity” as “the best way forward”.
Roos had been hired in 2022 by Lipton’s owners, CVC Capital Partners, in the wake of their acquisition of the business from Unilever.
In a statement at the time of her departure, the Netherlands-based group said Roos had “for personal reasons, in agreement with the board” decided to step down.
Today’s (2 April) statement to announce Laubies’ appointment cited his “30 years of leadership experience” at companies including Mars and Campbell Soup Company.
He has also previously worked as CEO of coffee group Jacobs Douwe Egberts and beauty company Coty, and also as a board member of French agri-food business Groupe Panzani.
At the time of her departure, the Lipton tea maker said Roos had “relaunched many of the company’s key brands with some considerable success”.
The group also pointed to the formation of a new “global responsible sourcing partnership” with tea exporter Brown’s Investments.
In May, Lipton Teas and Infusions handed off its tea estates in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania to Sri Lanka-based peer Browns Investment.
The transaction included the Kericho plantation in Kenya that had been at the centre of historical violence and human-rights issues.
Earlier this year, Lipton announced plans to invest zł60m ($14.7m) into its factory in the Katowice, southern Poland.
The company is looking to grow demand for fruit and herbal teas, with drinkers interested in the reputed health benefits of the products.
Lipton is known for its namesake brand, as well as Pukka, Tazo, T2 and Pukka teas. It manages eight packaging sites in four continents and has presence in more than 100 countries.
