Press releases

• CEO Rob Versloot retires after more than 12 years at the helm
• Current CBO Christian Schierbaum appointed as successor

Lenzburg, April 23, 2025 – After more than 12 years of leading the Hero Group, CEO Rob Versloot has decided to retire. Chief Business Officer Christian Schierbaum has been appointed as CEO-designate and will take over the leadership of the Group on June 1, 2025.

During Versloot’s tenure, the Group has been very successfully transformed from a decentral holding active in many different categories, to an integrated, focused, and fast-growing company.

Speaking about his decision to leave the company, Versloot said: “After having grown the company consistently at double-digit pace in the last three years, and having taken measures to future-proof the company, Hero is now on very solid foundations and well positioned for the future.”

His successor is a consummate FMCG professional with a strong track record acquired in more than 20 years in senior roles with Wella AG, Reckitt Benckiser, and Mondelēz across Europe.

Schierbaum joined the company in September 2019 as CMO before taking on a larger role within the organization as Chief Business Officer three years later.

“I very much look forward to my new role as CEO and working with my great colleagues at Hero. We can now take the next step in the future of Hero, which will have a more-focused approach to snacking while continuing to grow the entire portfolio,” Schierbaum said.

Hero Group Chairman Herbert Scheidt said the Group was fortunate to have in Schierbaum an ideal candidate within the organization to take the company to the next level of development and growth.

Scheidt expressed his gratitude to Versloot for his many years of dedicated service: “Rob (Versloot) has done an outstanding job at Hero, delivering consistently while building and transforming the company for an exciting future. He has made a remarkable impact on our culture and our results. It has been a true pleasure to work together and on behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish him all the very best and thank him wholeheartedly for everything he has done for Hero.”

Versloot added: “It has been a great honor and privilege for me to accompany a fantastic group of people at Hero and I am very thankful to all colleagues, the Board of Directors and Shareholders for their unwavering support throughout all these years. Now, the time is right to hand over the baton to Christian (Schierbaum) and having worked with him for the past five years, I am very confident that he is the right person for the job.”

About Hero Group
The Hero Group is a global food company focused on branded nutritional food products. The company was founded in 1886 in Lenzburg, Switzerland, where its headquarters are still located today. Hero's main product categories of Baby & Toddler Food and Snacks, Natural Spreads, and Healthy Snacks are complemented by its activities in Baby & Toddler Milk and Specialties.

The Group is a house of brands and includes Hero, Corny. Beech-Nut, Schwartau, Semper, Freche Freunde, Organix, Deliciously Ella, Sunar, Vitrac, Baby Gourmet, Queensberry, and Cas de Mateus in its portfolio. In 2024, the Group generated revenues of CHF 1.25 billion.

Media contact
Stephen Chetcuti
stephen.chetcuti@hero.ch