The Kraft Heinz Company Names Steve Cahillane Chief Executive Officer

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 16, 2025--

The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC) (“Kraft Heinz” or the “Company”) today announced that it has named Steve Cahillane as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective January 1, 2026. He will also join the Company’s Board of Directors and serve as CEO of Global Taste Elevation Co. following Kraft Heinz’s planned separation into two independent, publicly traded companies. Carlos Abrams-Rivera will step down January 1 and serve as an advisor to the Company until March 6, 2026, to ensure a seamless leadership transition.

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“I am honored to be joining Kraft Heinz as CEO at such a pivotal and exciting time,” said Cahillane. “Like millions of people around the world, I have a deeply personal connection to the Kraft Heinz brands, dating back to my childhood. I’ve devoted my entire career to building brands, and the opportunity to do the same with Kraft Heinz’s iconic portfolio is a dream come true. I’m confident the planned separation will accelerate the Company’s ability to compete and win in today’s environment and unlock the immense opportunity in front of us. I’m looking forward to working with the team to write this exciting next chapter together.”

Cahillane brings a wealth of industry experience to Kraft Heinz, having most recently served as Chairman, President and CEO of Kellanova until its recent acquisition by Mars, Incorporated. During his time at the helm of Kellanova, Cahillane led the company through a period of transformative growth, overseeing the expansion of the company’s iconic global brand portfolio, including Pringles ®, Cheez-It ®, Pop-Tarts ®, Kellogg’s ® (International) and other beloved household staples. He also led Kellogg Company through the successful separation of its North American cereal business and the launch of Kellanova, a global snacking powerhouse. Over the course of his thirty-plus-year career, Cahillane has held senior executive roles at The Nature’s Bounty Co., The Coca-Cola Company and AB InBev.

“Steve is uniquely qualified to lead this organization into the future, and we are delighted he will be taking on the role of CEO. His track record and experience in the industry are unparalleled and will be invaluable as we embark on this next chapter,” said Miguel Patricio, Chair of the Board, Kraft Heinz. “On behalf of the Board and everyone at Kraft Heinz, we are incredibly grateful to Carlos for his many contributions to the Company, serving not only as CEO but in other critical leadership roles. Carlos helped transform the Company into a more agile and innovative organization and laid the groundwork for the upcoming separation. We are excited about the road ahead for Kraft Heinz.”

As part of the leadership transition, John T. Cahill, Vice Chair of Kraft Heinz’s Board, who previously served as CEO of Kraft prior to the combination with Heinz, will become Board Chair. Cahill will continue to lead the Board’s Separation Committee, which he has led since its formation earlier this year. Miguel Patricio will continue to serve as a Board Member of Kraft Heinz. The Board will also initiate a global search for a CEO to lead North American Grocery Co.

“I want to express the Board’s deep gratitude to Miguel for stepping in to help prepare the Company and leadership team for the proposed separation. With this transition, he will now be able to focus on his many other commitments, while continuing to serve on the Board of Kraft Heinz,” said John T. Cahill, Vice Chair of the Board, Kraft Heinz. “I look forward to taking on the role of Chair as we usher in an exciting new era for the Company, with Steve Cahillane at the helm.”

About Steve Cahillane

Steve Cahillane served as CEO of Kellanova, previously Kellogg Company, from October 2017 until it was acquired by Mars, Incorporated in December 2025. Prior to Kellogg, in 2014, Cahillane assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer at The Nature’s Bounty Co., the largest global pure-play manufacturer, marketer and specialty retailer of health and wellness products. Prior to Nature’s Bounty, Cahillane spent seven years with The Coca-Cola Company, most recently as President of Coca-Cola Americas, the global beverage maker’s largest business with $25 billion in sales. Prior to Coca-Cola, he spent eight years with AB InBev.

Cahillane serves on the Northwestern University Board of Trustees, the Smithsonian National Board, and the Colgate-Palmolive Board of Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

About the Planned Separation

Following a thorough evaluation of potential strategic transactions, Kraft Heinz announced in September of 2025 that it was separating into two standalone companies, Global Taste Elevation Co. and North American Grocery Co. Both companies, which will be named later, will have greater strategic and operational focus to serve customers, delight consumers and accelerate performance. The separation is designed to maximize Kraft Heinz’s capabilities and brands while reducing complexity, allowing both new companies to more effectively deploy resources toward their distinct strategic priorities. The proposed separation is intended to be tax-free for Kraft Heinz and its shareholders. Kraft Heinz currently expects the transaction to close in the second half of 2026. The transaction will follow the satisfaction of customary conditions, including final approval by the Kraft Heinz Board of Directors, receipt of a tax opinion with respect to the tax-free nature of the separation and effectiveness of appropriate filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

ABOUT THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY

We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC), inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2024 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of eight consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements as defined under U.S. federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the proposed separation of Kraft Heinz into two companies, including the timing and structure of such separation, the characteristics of the separated businesses and the expected benefits of the separation, future operating and financial performance and long-term strategy. Words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “aspire,” “believe,” “commit,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “guidance,” “intend,” ”may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “will,” “would,” and variations of such words and similar future or conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections at the time they are made and are not guarantees of future performance. There can be no guarantees with respect to whether the proposed separation will be completed on the proposed timetable or at all. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the ability to effect the separation and to meet the conditions related thereto; the ability of the separated companies to each succeed as a standalone publicly traded company; negative effects of the announcement or pendency of the spin-off transaction on the market price of Kraft Heinz's securities and/or on Kraft Heinz’s financial performance; the possibility that the separation will not be completed within the anticipated time period or at all; the possibility that the separation will not achieve its intended benefits; the possibility of disruption, including disputes, litigation or unanticipated costs in connection with the separation; the impact of the separation on Kraft Heinz’s businesses and the risk that the separation may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected, including the impact on Kraft Heinz’s resources, systems, procedures and controls, diversion of management's attention and the impact and possible disruption of existing relationships with regulators, customers, suppliers, employees and other business counterparties; the ability to achieve anticipated capital structures in connection with the separation, including the future availability of credit and factors that may affect such availability; the ability to achieve anticipated credit ratings in connection with the separation; the ability to achieve anticipated tax treatments in connection with the separation and future, if any, divestitures, mergers, acquisitions and other portfolio changes and the impact of changes in relevant tax and other laws and regulations; the uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals in connection with the separation; evolving legal and regulatory regimes; and changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions; as well as other factors described in the risk factors set forth in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The Company disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update, revise, or withdraw any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Steve Cahillane

President Donald Trump said Thursday Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general.

Trump in a social media post named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, though three people familiar with the matter have said he has privately discussed Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, as a permanent pick.

It marks the end of a contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies.

Here is the latest:

Bondi released a statement Thursday, which read:

“Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche before moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration.

Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.

Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court.

I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.”

Democrats in Congress were celebrating the firing of the attorney general, whose appearance on Capitol Hill often featured bitter exchanges with Democratic lawmakers. But they also said that new leadership alone would not be enough to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to remake the Department of Justice to do his bidding.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that under Bondi’s leadership, the Justice Department “has lost centuries of professional experience, willfully violated federal law and judicial orders alike” and added that her firing is “not enough to restore the credibility of the Justice Department.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Bondi’s “legacy will be the weaponization of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency for Donald Trump’s personal benefit, but apparently even she didn’t go far enough to appease him.”

The Republican had only nice things to say about Bondi in an emailed statement, noting a drop in violent crime during her tenure and her Justice Department’s responsiveness to congressional oversight requests.

“The Judiciary Committee stands ready to advance President Trump’s next Attorney General nominee,” Grassley said.

The attorney general was facing a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight Committee on April 14 as lawmakers look into how the Department of Justice handled the release of the case files on Jeffrey Epstein.

The chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, said in a statement that he would survey Republicans on the committee on whether they still wanted to enforce the subpoena.

Democrats quickly called on the committee to follow through on the subpoena. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement that Bondi “will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath.”

Bondi was subpoenaed last month to appear before the Republican-led Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and face questions over the Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and release of the related files.

Mace, who sits on the committee, said in a statement Thursday that Bondi “will be appearing” in two weeks because the “DOJ still hasn’t complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.”

Past attorney generals generally took pains to maintain an arm’s-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.

But Bondi postured herself as Trump’s chief supporter and protector, praising and defending him in congressional hearings and placing a banner with his face on the exterior of Justice Department headquarters.

She called for an end to the “weaponization” of law enforcement that she said occurred under the Biden administration, though her critics said she was the one who had politicized the agency to do the president’s bidding.

The Justice Department’s review and release of Epstein files frustrated members of Congress, who accused the department of hiding certain documents, over-redacting files and, in other cases, failing to redact sensitive information about the victims.

The department denied that it redacted documents in order to protect people and that it improperly withheld certain material. Still, it caused a series of headaches for the Trump administration.

“Thank you to President Trump for the trust and the opportunity to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Blanche wrote in a post on X, after saying that Bondi led the department with “strength and conviction.”

“We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe,” Blanche said.

Blanche is a former federal prosecutor who worked as Trump’s criminal defense attorney in two cases brought by the department under President Joe Biden’s administration.

He was also a key figure on the president’s defense team in the hush money case against Trump in New York.

Blanche became second in command behind Bondi at the Justice Department last year.

“We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, after saying she’s been a “loyal friend.”

Trump said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, in response to earlier reports that President Donald Trump was considering ousting Attorney General Pam Bondi, said in a statement Thursday: “I welcome it.”

“Bondi handled the Epstein Files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump,” said Mace in the statement, whose long been critical of the justice department over the release and review of the Jefferey Epstein files.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies.

The announcement follows months of scrutiny over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation that made Bondi the target of angry conservatives even with her close relationship with Trump. She also struggled to satisfy Trump’s demands to prosecute his political rivals, with multiple investigations rejected by judges or grand juries.

The former Florida attorney general came into office last year pledging that she would not play politics with the Justice Department, but she quickly started investigations of Trump foes, sparking an outcry that the law enforcement agency was being wielded as a tool of revenge to advance the president’s political and personal agenda.

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FILE - Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington, as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

FILE - Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with reporters in Washington, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

FILE - Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)