A new executive leader will be at the helm of Kraft Heinz at the start of the new year, as the food giant company announced that Carlos Abrams-Rivera will become the new CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2024. 

The upcoming promotion will be a full-circle moment for Abrams-Rivera, as he previously began his career in the food industry with Kraft Foods Group during the late 1990s. 

After various roles at other corporations, Abrams-Rivera joined Kraft Heinz in 2020.

Abrams-Rivera will be taking the reins as CEO from Miguel Patricio, who has led Kraft Heinz since 2019. 

Patricio took over as the company’s chief executive while Kraft Heinz was struggling with slumping sales, write-downs on a handful of its iconic brands and investor scrutiny pertaining to its business model.

Under his leadership, Patricio has tried to revive its brands, such as Oscar Mayer and Maxwell House for younger consumers. However, demand for its products have fallen in recent months as inflation continues to rage on.

When the CEO transition officially occurs, Patricio will step down as CEO and become the chairman of the board.

Abrams-Rivera has been quoted as being “humbled and honored to be appointed as the new CEO of Kraft Heinz.”

“I would like to thank Miguel for his mentorship, all he has done to rekindle the spirit of Kraft Heinz and our culture, and for his partnership, now and in the future,” he added. 

As CEO, Abrams-Rivera will lead the expansion of the company’s U.S. and Canadian operations. 

Patricio believes Abrams-Rivera is the right man to help lead the company into the next phase of its transformation. 

“Since joining Kraft Heinz in 2020, [Carlos] has consistently delivered strong results in the North American retail and Away From Home businesses,” said Patricio in a statement. “Carlos’ experience in both developed and emerging markets complements our ambition for growth.”

Prior to joining Kraft Heinz, Abrams-Rivera worked over four years at Campbell, with his most recent role being that of executive vice president and president of Campbell Snacks. Before that, he was an executive at Mondelēz International. 

Abrams-Rivera holds a bachelor of science degree in economics from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan Business School.