Feld’s fate at Barry Callebaut sealed by keeping board in the dark over cocoa unit split
As fallout from former Barry Callebaut CEO Peter Feld’s abrupt departure continues, cocoaradar.com understands that other senior executives have also exited the group, including Kai Hummel, its former Global Head of Corporate Communication.
Hummel, appointed in September 2023 and regarded as a Feld ally, was notable for his limited presence at Barry Callebaut’s Zurich headquarters – he continued to live in Germany – and for his handling of media relations. Sources say he left the group on 21 January, the same day as Feld.
A spokesperson for Barry Callebaut said Hummel "resigned in December to take on a new role in Germany. This was his personal decision as he wanted to be closer to home, which we fully respect".
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Barry Callebaut is now searching for a new Global Head of Corporate Communications, with Karolien Cloots serving as interim head for Europe.
Hein Schumacher, former Unilever CEO, took over from Feld on 21 January and is assembling a new executive team, including a Head of External Affairs.
According to the Financial Times, Schumacher was ousted from Unilever in February 2025 after the board lost patience with the pace of his turnaround, replacing him with CFO Fernando Fernandez.