Barry Callebaut Appoints Amr Arafa as Chief Digital Officer to Drive Tech-Enabled Transformation

Barry Callebaut Appoints Amr Arafa as Chief Digital Officer to Drive Tech-Enabled Transformation

(IN BRIEF) Barry Callebaut, a leading cocoa and chocolate products manufacturer, has appointed Amr Arafa as its Chief Digital Officer (CDO) to spearhead the company’s commitment to becoming an agile and tech-enabled organization. In this newly created role, Arafa will report directly to CEO Peter Feld and become a part of Barry Callebaut’s Extended Leadership Team. Arafa brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation from his previous roles, including serving as Chief Data Officer at IKEA for over four years. He has led significant digital transformation initiatives in his career, including at Mondelēz International. Arafa holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Egypt, as well as a Master of Science in e-Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK. His appointment aligns with Barry Callebaut’s BC Next Level program, focusing on advancing digital transformation for the benefit of the company and its entire value chain, from customers to cocoa farmers.

(PRESS RELEASE) ZURICH, 14-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Amr Arafa will be responsible for driving the company’s commitment to creating an agile, tech-enabled organization supporting Barry Callebaut’s growth strategy going forward. In this newly created position, he reports directly to CEO Peter Feld and joins the Extended Leadership Team of Barry Callebaut.

Amr Arafa has acquired profound expertise in digital transformation in his previous positions. He joins Barry Callebaut from IKEA, where he served as Chief Data Officer for over four years. Throughout his career, he has led various, large strategic digital transformation programs, including at Mondelēz International. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT), Egypt, and a Master of Science in e-Business Management from the University of Warwick, UK.

“We are very pleased that Amr joins Barry Callebaut. As part of our BC Next Level program, we have committed to developing an agile, tech-enabled organization. This will not only benefit us internally at Barry Callebaut, but also will enable a seamless integration across our entire value chain – from our customers all the way to the cocoa farmers. With Amr, we have the right person on board to help us advance this digital transformation”. Peter Feld, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group

About Barry Callebaut Group:

With annual sales of about CHF 8.5 billion in fiscal year 2022/23, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products – from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs 66 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 13,000 people. The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®, Carma® and the decorations specialist Mona Lisa®. The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.

Media Contact:

Kai Hummel
Global Head of Corporate Communications
+41 43 204 15 22
media_hq@barry-callebaut.com

Sarah Morgan
Interim Investor Relations Officer
+41 79 275 83 95
investorrelations@barry-callebaut.com

SOURCE: Barry Callebaut