Nestlé Waters North America names Mercé president, CEO
Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) has named Fernando Mercé president and chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2017.
Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) has named Fernando Mercé president and chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2017. Formerly chief executive officer of Nestlé Purina Latin America & Caribbean, Mercé will oversee all Nestlé Waters North America’s operations in both the United States and Canada. Mercé will also serve as a member of the global Nestlé Waters board of directors.
“I am delighted that Fernando will be leading Nestlé Waters North America as it begins an exciting new chapter,” said Maurizio Patarnello, chairman and CEO, Nestlé Waters. “His proven leadership, passion for innovation, and deep commitment to creating a learning culture will enrich our strong NWNA teams and ensure that we build on our growth legacy to retain our leadership position in the category.”
Mercé began his career with Nestlé in 1992 as an industrial engineer with the operations improvement team, before joining marketing and steadily increasing his responsibilities. His roles have included e-business development, director of marketing for the Friskies brand, global marketing director in the pet care global strategic business unit. Mercé also served as vice president and deputy of Nestlé’s Americas Zone before moving to Nestlé Purina.
Mercé holds a BS degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University and a MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Carlos Romano, business executive officer, food and beverages, Argentina, will be joining Nestlé Purina as president, Nestlé Purina Latin America & Caribbean.