The Swiss food and beverage giant said Pullings Hart’s extensive operations experience will be key to moving the business forward when she fully assumes the Head of Operations role from Magdi Batato, who will retire in 2024
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After a handover period, Pullings Hart will take over as the Head of Operations on 1 January 2024 | Photo credit: Nestlé
Nestlé has announced that its Head of Operations Magdi Batato will retire next year, with Stephanie Pullings Hart returning to the company to assume the role.
Batato, who has worked at Nestlé in various roles for more than 30 years, will retire in early 2024. He currently oversees operations at hundreds of Nestlé factories globally as well as the Swiss food and beverage giant’s procurement, logistics and sustainability functions.
Pullings Hart, currently Senior Vice President of Operations for online eyewear retailer Warby Parker, will return to Nestlé on 1 July 2023 as the Deputy Head of Operations. After a handover period, she will take over as the Head of Operations on 1 January 2024.
The incoming Head of Operations previously worked for Nestlé in several roles between 2007-2018, including Executive Director Operations for the company’s Australian business and Vice President Manufacturing, based at Nestlé’s Vevey headquarters.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and our Executive Board, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Magdi for his many contributions to Nestlé. We wish him all the best for this next chapter. At the same time, we are delighted that Stephanie is returning to Nestlé. With her appointment, we are gaining a highly qualified leader with extensive experience across all areas of operations, and a proven track record in growing businesses. Her highly entrepreneurial and digital experience combined with her knowledge of Nestlé make her the ideal leader to take us forward,” said CEO Mark Schneider.
Nestlé currently operates more than 340 factories across 77 countries, with the company’s products sold in 188 markets worldwide.
In April 2023 Nestlé posted a resilient first quarter, with 5.6% sales growth to CHF 23.5bn ($26.5bn). The Swiss food and beverage giant reported high single-digit growth for coffee and ‘positive sales developments’ for its Nescafé, Starbucks and Nespresso ranges during the period.