FDBusiness.com

Private equity firm Nomad Holdings has appointed Stéfan Descheemaeker as Chief Executive Officer, effective upon closing of its recently announced acquisition of Iglo Foods Group, which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2015. Stéfan Descheemaeker will also serve as CEO of Iglo Group, replacing current CEO Elio Leoni Sceti. Iglo Group is Europe’s largest frozen food business with iconic brands including Birds Eye in the UK and Ireland, Iglo in Germany and other continental European markets, and Findus in Italy.

Mr. Descheemaeker will provide the strategic direction and day-to-day leadership necessary to achieve Nomad’s vision of building a portfolio of best-in-class consumer food companies. Working closely with co-founders Martin E Franklin and Noam Gottesman, Mr. Descheemaeker will implement Nomad’s growth strategy and oversee day-to-day operations and brand initiatives at Iglo Group.

Mr. Descheemaeker’s previous tenures in operational, finance, and executive roles make him a dynamic leader with a wealth of relevant industry experience. He recently served as Chief Financial Officer at Delhaize Group, a €20 billion international food retailer, before becoming CEO of its European division. In this capacity, he focused on delivering organic growth and driving cash flow generation. Earlier, as Head of Strategy & External Growth at Belgian-based Interbrew, he was responsible for managing M&A and strategy, which culminated in the merger of Interbrew and AmBev in 2004 to create the world’s largest brewer. At Interbrew (and later InBev), he held operational management roles as Zone President in the U.S., Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.

He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a position he has held since 2008. Mr. Descheemaeker holds a Master’s degree in Commercial Engineering, Business School, Brussels, Belgium.

Noam Gottesman, Nomad’s Co-Founder, comments: “Stéfan’s background aligns with our aspirations to create a leading, global consumer foods company. He possesses a rare combination of food retailing and fast-moving consumer goods experience as well as a honed expertise in corporate M&A strategy. Martin and I are delighted to welcome him to Nomad and are confident he will be a key partner as we implement our build-up strategy. Bringing Stéfan on board at this juncture also provides for strong continuity in leadership at Iglo Group as he and Elio will work together to ensure a seamless transition.”

Stéfan Descheemaeker states: “I could not be more excited to join Nomad at the onset of its growth story. The initial investment in Iglo Group creates a solid foundation for us in the consumer foods space. Iglo Group’s brands evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for me, and I am personally looking forward to working with the talented teams to promote growth and innovation in the frozen foods category.”