Nestle Appoints Mauricio Alarcon as New CEO

By Dipo Olowookere

The former Managing Director of Nestlé Nigeria, Mr Mauricio Alarcon, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Central and West Africa Limited.

A statement from the leading multinational food and drink processing conglomerate said the appointment of Mr Alarcon is effective Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

The new CEO became the MD of Nestle Nigeria in 2016, the largest Nestlé operation in the region and during his tenure, he was a catalyst for change and innovation to achieve superior business performance amidst a volatile environment.

He also demonstrated a strong personal commitment to improving the lives of people within the company as well as in the communities it operates.

Mr Alarcon, who is a Mexican national with a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, has a robust and in-depth understanding of Central and West Africa.

In 2014, he became Managing Director of Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire where he drove business growth and efficiency. He also headed Nestlé’s operation in Senegal, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Mauritania and Cape Verde.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Alarcon said, “I’m honoured and excited to lead Nestlé Central and West Africa Limited.

“I look forward to joining forces with all our stakeholders to deliver Nestlé’s purpose, which is to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.”

“We will achieve this by bringing to life our vision of delivering affordable and accessible nutrition to everyone in Central and West Africa.

“We will also continue to build strong communities by improving livelihoods as well as intensify our efforts to protect our planet for future generations,” he added.

Mr Alarcon, before joining Nestle Mexico in 1999, had worked in the banking sector.

Five years after joining the firm, he was appointed as Marketing Manager for the Ice Cream business in Australia.

He moved to Nestlé’s North and Eastern Africa Region as Business Executive Manager for Ice Cream in 2010, transforming the business by doubling turnover and improving profitability.