Packaged food maker Kellanova has named Nicolas Amaya president of its North America division.
Amaya, who currently serves as president of Kellanova Latin America, will succeed Chris Hood, who has decided to retire at the end of April, the company noted.
Elsewhere, general manager of Kellanova Mexico, Victor Marroquin will succeed Amaya as president of Kellanova Latin America.
Amaya and Marroquin will report to Kellanova's chairman, president and chief executive officer, Steve Cahillane.
"Nico [Nicolas Amaya] 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," Cahillane said, and added, "He has the successful track record and Kellanova experience to continue to drive our business forward as the new leader of our largest region."
Chris Hood
Hood joined the company in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition.
Under his near six-year leadership as president of the North America unit, he was responsible for creating an agile, category-led business model to drive better performance and unlock innovation, Kellanova said.
He was also instrumental in guiding the the business unit through major business and portfolio realignments, including the exit from direct-store delivery, the divestiture of non-core brands, and the spin-off of WK Kellogg Co.
Nicolas Amaya
Amaya joined Kellanova, formerly Kellogg, in 2001 and served in various leadership positions in the US and Latin America across the cereal, frozen and snacks businesses.
Some of his roles include, general manager, snacks and growth platforms for Latin America; general manager, category marketing and innovation, Latin America; and general manager, Mexico.
In 2019, he was appointed to the role of president, Kellogg Latin America. During his tenure, the team delivered top- and bottom-line growth, built strong relationships with key customers and distributors across the region, and implemented digital transformation.
Prior to Kellogg, Amaya held various marketing roles at Unilever, the company added.
Victor Marroquin
In 1997, Marroquin joined Kellogg and served in marketing, customer development and commercial management positions.
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, before being named general manager, Mexico in 2020.
According to Kellanova, he led the team to achieve consistent and strong top- and bottom-line performance, strengthen the market positions of its brands, transform its go-to-market models and elevate key customers' strategic partnerships.
Cahillane commented, "Victor has experience in every key market of the Latin America business. He is well respected and well known throughout the region – both within Kellanova and the industry."
