Mondelez International and Ahold Delhaize CEOs Announced as New Co-Chairs of Consumer Goods Forum

Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, and Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelez International, will serve as co-chairs of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), as announced at their Global Summit in Kyoto, Japan.

Speaking at the Summit, the new co-chairs, who will serve a two-year term, detailed their united vision to support industry-wide action to address worldwide challenges facing our planet.

CGF has an influential global membership of 400 companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé, Tesco, Unilever, and Walmart, spanning 70 countries. The pair hopes to progress on deforestation, plastics, human rights in the supply chain, net zero, and employee wellbeing. CGF’s Board of Directors selected the co-chairs, comprised of more than 58 of the world’s top chief executive officers.

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The new co-chairs spoke alongside outgoing co-chairs James Quincey, chairman and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company, and Daniel Zhang, chairman, and chief executive officer of Alibaba Group, along with CGF’s managing director, Wai-Chan Chan. The new leadership duo recognized the diversity amongst CGF’s membership and hopes to mobilize CGF’s membership to deliver a positive impact around the organization's Coalitions of Action, driving progress on forests, plastics, healthier lives, human rights, food waste, supply chains, food safety, and product data.

Muller and Van de Put also highlighted critical areas that require CGF’s immediate intention, including tackling deforestation, pivoting to a circular economy for plastics, protecting human rights, increasing employee health and wellness, and speeding up decarbonization progress. The pair will share progress on these initiatives at significant industry events, including the Sustainable Retail Summit in Copenhagen this upcoming October.

“The consumer goods sector has a critical part in delivering the transition to a greener, healthier, and more resilient future,” said Van de Put.

Over the past two years, CGF achieved significant progress through their Plastic Waste Coalition of Action, helping to inform the United Nations’ new plastics treaty. Additionally, their Collaboration for Healthier Lives Coalition supported over 255 million people through initiatives assisting consumers in making healthier choices.