Thompson currently oversees the food and beverage group’s Nescafé, Starbucks at Home and Seattle’s Best coffee brands in the US and will assume the CEO role in January 2025
.jpg.aspx?lang=en-GB&width=700&height=466)
Martin Thompson joined Nestlé in 2018 | Photo credit: Nestlé
Nestlé USA has appointed Martin Thompson as CEO and US Market Head, effective 1 January 2025.
Thompson joined Nestlé USA in June 2018 as part of the food and beverage group’s acquisition of Starbucks’ consumer packaged goods and foodservice business.
The $7.1bn Global Coffee Alliance deal granted Nestlé exclusive rights to market and distribute Starbucks-branded retail packaged coffee, pods and ready-to-drink (RTD) ranges across more than 80 markets outside of Starbucks’ retail stores.
Thompson was later appointed President of Seattle-based Nestlé Coffee Partners in 2020 and held additional responsibility for the group’s Nescafé and Seattle’s Best retail packaged coffee brands.
In a press release, Nestlé said its USA division is a key contributor to group sales growth and had delivered consecutive years of profitability and market share gains under Thompson’s leadership.
Nestlé’s Nescafé, licensed Starbucks and Nespresso coffee brands achieved mid-single-digit sales growth over the first nine months of 2024.
“For the last several years Marty has led one of our most successful businesses, cementing our position as undisputed leaders in the coffee category. He was instrumental in doubling our Starbucks business globally in just four years and leading the expansion of Nescafé in the US market. I expect he will inspire that same innovation and growth mindset he fostered within our winning coffee business as he takes on the broader CEO role,” said Steve Presley, CEO, Nestlé Zone Americas.
Thompson, who served as CEO of California-based confectionery business Ghirardelli Chocolate Company before joining Nestlé, will report directly to Presley.
His appointment comes three months after Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé appointed longtime company executive Laurent Freixe as its new CEO in a bid to return the business to revenue growth following weaker than expected nine-month sales.
It also comes shortly after Vevey-based Nestlé announced changes to its organisational structure and Executive Board, including the consolidation of its Zone Latin America and Zone North America segments into Zone Americas – a move Freixe said would speed-up internal decision-making.