Bernard Meunier has been tapped as the new head of strategic business units, marketing and sales, for Nestle SA, effective 1 March 2021. He will succeed Patrice Bula, who plans to retire in February 2021 after 40 years with the company.

A 35-year veteran of Nestle, Meunier was most recently head of Nestle Purina PetCare’s Europe, Middle East and North Africa businesses, a role he held for the past seven years. Before that, he held senior leadership positions in marketing, commercial and general management for the company, including serving as market head in Hungary, the Russia and Eurasia region and the Iberia region.

Additionally, David Rennie, head of the Nestle Coffee Brands group, has become a member of the company’s executive board, effective March 1, 2021. The decision reflects the strategic nature of his role, Nestle said, as coffee is one of the company’s main growth pillars.

“On behalf of our board of directors and our executive board, I would like to thank Patrice for the tremendous job he has done over the course of 40 years at Nestle,” said Mark Schneider, chief executive officer of Nestle. “We are excited that, in Bernard, we have a successor who is a dynamic leader with the proven ability to grow businesses. We are equally delighted to welcome David Rennie to the group executive board. With his strategic vision, ability to execute and stellar record of success in coffee, he will make a valuable contribution.”