ekaterra appoints new CEO and Chairperson
Rotterdam, 4 July 2022 - ekaterra is pleased to announce the appointment of Nathalie Roos as Chief Executive Officer and Pierre Laubies as Chair of the Board following the completion on July 1st of its divestment from Unilever.
Nathalie Roos was previously head of L’Oréal’s Professional Products division and prior to that CEO of Germany for the Group. She has held senior roles at Mars for nearly 20 years. She is also currently a non-executive director of Pret-a-Manger and Bel Group, the French healthy dairy and fruit snack manufacturer.
Complementing Nathalie’s experience, Pierre Laubies joins as Chair of the Board of ekaterra. Pierre brings 30 years of leadership experience at Mars, Campbell Soup Company, and more recently as CEO of Jacobs Douwe Egberts and Coty. He continues to advise as a Member of the Board at Philips Domestic Appliances and Groupe Panzani.
The appointment of Nathalie Roos and Pierre Laubies marks the beginning of an exciting new phase of ekaterra’s development as an independent business. ekaterra is the world’s leading global tea business with annuak revenues of approximately €2 billion and a portfolio of more than 30 brands, including Lipton which is sold in more than 100 countries as well as PG tips in the UK and TAZO in the US. The popularity of tea continues to grow, as health-conscious consumers seek out new products and drive interest in alternative and fruit teas. Amongst its younger brands, Pukka and T2 lead the industry as B-Corp certified.
Reflecting on her excitement to lead ekaterra, Nathalie Roos said: “Tea holds an extraordinary role in societies around the world, steeped in tradition, culture and community spirit. It also has an incredible power to evolve and always be relevant to the times. ekaterra’s future will embody these elements too, alongside ambitious plans to become a leader in sustainable tea production, in farming and distribution methods, and also as a supporter of the communities in which we operate. Tea is an exciting growth category. As consumers seek out the health benefits of antioxidant rich teas, they are also passionate about supporting businesses that are committed to improving the natural environment and supporting their employees.”
ekaterra’s leadership team and CVC thank outgoing CEO John Davison for his significant contribution to the business. Handing the baton to Nathalie Roos, John Davison stated: “I am proud of the ekaterra team who have achieved several milestones carving out the business from Unilever and establishing it as an independent company. I am confident ekaterra will flourish and wish Nathalie and the team every success in accelerating ekaterra’s momentum to grow a world of wellbeing in the tea category.”
Pierre Laubies, Chair of ekaterra said, “I am delighted that Nathalie has accepted the opportunity to become CEO of ekaterra. She has precisely the right blend of skills for the role, with her strong commercial background, her ability to develop great teams and a passion for building consumer brands and delivering growth. Working alongside Nathalie, we have the opportunity to grow our world leading tea business committed to reaching the highest sustainability goals.”