Barry Callebaut (BARN) 23rd annual dbAccess Global Consumer Conference summary

Leadership transition and initial assessment

• New CEO joined with a global foods background, attracted by the company's end-to-end value chain and global reach.

• Company faced challenges: soaring cocoa prices, quality incidents, and simultaneous transformation initiatives.

• High attrition and organizational fatigue were present, but strong expertise and long-term opportunity identified.

• Immediate focus was on strengthening fundamentals and meeting customer expectations.

People, culture, and organizational structure

• Fatigue and high attrition were addressed by involving 30 global leaders in designing the new strategy.

• Emphasis on unlocking enthusiasm and passion through collaborative planning.

• Shift to a regional structure with five defined regions, each accountable for its own P&L and resources.

• Clearer accountability and streamlined decision-making to improve performance.

Infrastructure and operational improvements

• Customer service, planning, and quality assurance processes were identified as needing improvement.

• Investments announced in North America, including new and upgraded facilities in the U.S. and Canada.

• Network flexibility increased to support both affordable and premium product lines.

• Focus on rapid progress and achieving operational stability by year-end.