International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) announced that it has appointed Kathy Fortmann as IFF divisional CEO, taste, effective 1 October. Fortmann will replace Matthias Haeni, IFF’s current divisional CEO, taste, who has informed IFF of his intention to retire at the culmination of his 30-year career in the industry. Upon completion of the previously announced merger of IFF with DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) business.

 

Fortmann will assume the role of president, taste, food & beverage. She will replace Haeni and Amy Byrick, N&B food & beverage platform leader, who had been previously announced to lead the taste, food & beverage division upon transaction close.

 

IFF and DuPont continue to target completion of the merger for the first quarter of 2021. In her new role, Fortmann will join the company’s executive committee and oversee the strategy and commercial and creative execution for the division. She will continue to play an instrumental role in executing the integration of IFF’s taste offering with N&B’s food & beverage platform, in close collaboration with Byrick, to form the combined company’s taste, food & beverage division. Fortmann most recently served as president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a multi-billion-dollar food ingredients business. She joined IFF in April 2020 as head of taste strategy and cross-fertilization.

 

Haeni will work closely with Fortmann until the completion of the transaction. Also following the transaction close, Byrick will pursue a career opportunity outside the combined company.

 

“In her short time with IFF, Kathy has already brought tremendous expertise and insight to our team leading IFF’s integration of Taste with N&B’s Food & Beverage platform. With her proven track record of delivering growth and innovation at global food and beverage ingredients organizations, I am confident Kathy is uniquely qualified to lead this division,” said IFF chairman and CEO, Andreas Fibig.