Nestlé UK & Ireland has announced a trio of senior leadership appointments, strengthening its commercial and operational focus across coffee, manufacturing and foodservice.
Katya Simmons has been appointed Managing Director for Coffee at Nestlé UK & Ireland, moving from her long-standing role leading Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland. Simmons brings more than two decades of Nestlé experience, spanning sales, marketing and general management roles across Russia, Eurasia and the UK.
During more than seven years at Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland, Simmons oversaw market share growth, customer collaboration initiatives and a transformation of the business model, alongside sustainability and youth skills programmes.
Commenting on her new role, Simmons said: “I am thrilled to be leading the Coffee sector in the UK and Ireland. Coffee has an exciting future ahead of it and I am privileged and proud to be part of the team taking it forward. I can’t wait to see what we will achieve and how we’ll drive growth across our incredible brands.”
From an operations perspective, Martin Krohn has been named Head of Technical & Production for Nestlé UK & Ireland, with responsibility for coffee, confectionery and food factories, including Mindful Chef and Simply Cook operations.
Krohn joins the UK & Ireland leadership team after leading confectionery manufacturing across Europe’s KitKat & Wafer Cluster, and brings extensive experience in industrial performance and factory management.
Krohn said safety and quality would remain central to his approach, noting: “It’s a pleasure to move into the role of Head of Technical and Production for Nestlé in the UK and Ireland. Safety and quality are paramount to all that we do at Nestlé, and I will continue to put this at the heart of the market.”
Completing the leadership changes, Lorenzo Vigano takes up the role of Managing Director for Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland. Vigano arrives with deep out-of-home experience, having previously led beverage and coffee strategy roles across Europe before growing Nestlé Professional Turkey into one of the division’s top markets.
“It’s a pleasure and honour to lead Nestlé Professional at such an exciting time,” Vigano said.
“As we enter the new year, I’m energised by the opportunities ahead and committed to supporting our customers across hospitality and foodservice. Together, we’ll continue delivering exceptional products and services, driven by our focus on excellence, sustainability, and innovation.”