Kellanova Names New President, Other Leadership Changes

Chris Hood, president of Kellanova North America is retiring. Nicolas Amaya, current president of Kellanova Latin America, will succeed Hood as president of Kellanova North America. 

Also, Victor Marroquin, current general manager at Kellanova Mexico, will succeed Amaya as president, Kellanova Latin America. Both region leaders will report to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Steve Cahillane. Transitions begin immediately, with Hood's retirement effective at the end of April 2024.

"A seasoned consumer packaged goods leader, Chris joined our company as part of the Pringles acquisition in 2012 and has contributed tremendously during his tenure," said Cahillane. "Over the past nearly six years in his role leading North America, Chris created an agile, category-led business model, driving better performance and unlocking innovation, while guiding the North America organization through major business and portfolio realignments, including the successful exit from direct-store delivery, the divestiture of non-core brands, and the recent spin-off of WK Kellogg Co. We wish Chris and his family all the best and extend our deepest appreciation for his contributions."

Hood's retirement prompts orderly successions by Nicolas Amaya and Victor Marroquin, both of whom have distinguished themselves as highly effective business leaders. "In Nicolas and Victor, we have proven leaders who are committed to delivering on our Differentiate, Drive & Deliver strategy, developing talent and advancing our purpose," adds Cahillane. "These appointments demonstrate the strong caliber of our people and talent pipeline."

Over the past four years as president, Amaya has led the Latin America team to deliver robust and consistent top- and bottom-line growth and build strong relationships with key customers and distributors across the region. He has also been at the forefront of digital transformation.

"Nico is a visionary leader who has a strong track record of developing high-performing teams and delivering outsized growth in both Latin America and North America," says Cahillane. "He has the successful track record and Kellanova experience to continue to drive our business forward as the new leader of our largest region."

Since joining the company in 2001, Amaya has held a variety of leadership positions in both the U.S. and Latin America across the cereal, frozen and snacks businesses including general manager, Snacks and Growth Platforms for Latin America; general manager, Category Marketing and Innovation, Latin America; and general manager, Mexico, before being named president of Kellogg Latin America in 2019. Prior to Kellogg, Amaya held various marketing roles at Unilever. 

Marroquin joined Kellogg in 1997 in sales, and then held progressive roles in marketing, customer development and commercial management. Since 2014, he has served as General Manager in several roles across Latin America leading countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Colombia and the Andean region, and then was named General Manager, Mexico in 2020.  In these roles, Marroquin has consistently led the team to deliver strong top- and bottom-line performance, strengthen our brands' market positions, transform our go-to-market models and elevate key customers´ strategic partnerships.

"Victor has experience in every key market of the Latin America business," said Cahillane. "He is well respected and well known throughout the region — both within Kellanova and the industry. He has sustained growth momentum in Mexico despite political, economic and regulatory challenges, and accelerated delivery of our Differentiate, Drive & Deliver strategy."

Kellanova also announced Chef Shari Cruz as its newest Chef in Residence. For the next year, Cruz will use Kellanova foods to create new and compelling dishes, bringing a fresh perspective and a world of culinary delights to the company.

The Chef in Residence fellowship is a unique and exciting program that provides opportunities for talented chefs to work at the W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food Technology in Battle Creek, MI. There, they lean into their food innovation skills, collaborate with Kellanova’s culinary team, and create new products that reflect diverse tastes and cultures.