A round-up of senior appointments from across the global coffee industry, including new leadership for Keurig Dr Pepper’s coffee division, Paris Baguette’s global operations and Panera Bread’s US franchise business
Keurig Dr Pepper appoints new CEO for Global Coffee Co spinoff
The US beverage group has named former Kimberly-Clark Chief Operating Officer Russ Torres as the new CEO for its planned Global Coffee Co spinoff, three months after its first choice for the role left the business.
As part of its $18bn acquisition of JDE Peet’s, KDP is planning to split into two US-listed companies, Global Coffee Co and Beverage Co, to manage its sizeable coffee and soft beverages portfolios as standalone listed businesses. The separation is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2027.
Torres’ appointment comes six months after JDE Peet’s CEO Rafael Oliveira was appointed to the role – one he left three months later to join Dutch beer giant Heineken.
SPC Group appoints Samsung and eBay exec as Paris Croissant CEO
Kang Shin-bong has been appointed the new CEO of Paris Croissant, the parent company of global bakery-café franchise, Paris Baguette.
Kang will be responsible for unearthing future growth engines for Paris Baguette as it seeks to more than double in size and reach 12,000 stores globally by 2030.
Alongside international growth, the former Samsung executive will also be responsible for increasing Paris Baguette’s brand exposure in an acutely competitive and crowded South Korean branded coffee shop market.
Former Burger King exec joins Panera Bread to lead US franchise expansion
Panera, the third-largest operator in the US branded coffee shop market by outlets, has appointed former Kraft Heinz executive Renato Gueraldi as new Senior Vice President for Franchise Operations to accelerate outlet growth across North America.
Some 55% of Panera’s 2,250 store network is franchised, with Ohio-based Covelli Enterprises the group’s largest franchisee, operating nearly 300 stores across five US states.
Gueraldi is Panera’s fourth senior hire of 2026 as it chases a $7bn sales target by 2028.
New CEO for Colombian coffee group Juan Valdez
Colombian coffee group Juan Valdez has a new CEO for the first time since 2018.
Succeeding Camila Escobar, Luis Guillermo Quintero Martínez is tasked with building on Juan Valdez’s record annual revenues and accelerating international expansion, while returning the brand to profit growth.
Juan Valdez achieved 20% year-on-year revenue growth during the 12 months ended 31 December 2025 to reach a record COP 967.8bn ($271.1m). However, despite revenues rising a further 18.2% during the first half of 2026, group profit fell 34% year-on-year during the same period amid higher green coffee costs and labour expenses.
New leadership for Tchibo in Poland
German coffee group Tchibo has appointed former Miele and Adidas executive Zofia Korecka-Rejczak as the new Managing Director for its business in Poland.
Founded in Hamburg in 1949, Tchibo began distributing packaged coffee in Poland in 1992 and opened its first bricks-and-mortar retail store in Warsaw in 2005. The coffee roaster and retailer currently operates 53 coffee bars in Poland, where it also sells its packaged coffee brands, as well as an alternating range of clothing, furniture, household items and electrical appliances.
Korecka-Rejczak joins Tchibo with a strong pedigree in FMCG and brand strategy.
TOUS les JOURS hires ex-McDonald’s exec to revive North American growth
Premium South Korean bakery-café chain TOUS les JOURS has hired long-serving McDonald’s executive Max Gallegos to reignite its growth strategy in North America.
Gallegos joins as Chief Marketing Officer for North America after more than 25 years in senior marketing roles at fast-food giant McDonald’s, and will be responsible for improving brand awareness, customer footfall and digital engagement to support outlet growth.
His appointment comes as TOUS les JOURS seeks to close the gap on key competitor Paris Baguette, which has outpaced its South Korean rival in the US over the last few years.
