Strauss Group President and CEO Gadi Lesin today announces the appointment of Tomer Harpaz as designated CEO of Sabra-Obela, the international dips and spreads company jointly owned by Strauss Group and Pepsico
Harpaz, who presently serves as CEO of Strauss Coffee, one of the world’s biggest coffee companies and an anchor in the Group’s portfolio, was selected following a thorough screening process by Sabra-Obela’s board of directors, led by senior PepsiCo and Strauss Group representatives. Harpaz will be replacing Shali Shalit and will be assuming the role in March 2018 after a new CEO for Strauss Coffee, the Group’s international coffee company, has been located.
Group President and CEO, Gadi Lesin, said today: “Harpaz has led Strauss Coffee for the past four years with great success, and will be bringing a strong combination of strategic competencies, innovative thinking and an entrepreneurial approach supported by his personal leadership style to the job. All of these will greatly benefit Sabra-Obela’s further growth, enhanced performance and successful penetration of new markets. The choice of another CEO from within Strauss Group for the joint venture with PepsiCo is a very important achievement for the company.”
Harpaz is concluding four outstanding years as CEO of Strauss Coffee and chairman of the coffee company in Brazil, a partnership with Lima Brothers. Under his leadership Strauss Coffee has delivered very strong performance in both growth and profit, combined with significant achievements such as the acquisition of NDKW’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Germany, the successful management of the crisis in the CIS countries, the company’s penetration of segments representing advanced and innovative value propositions in the coffee world (micro-grinding, fresh coffee, capsules), and the change of the sustainability model in coffee procurement (the women-owned coffee farms project).
Harpaz joined Strauss in 2010 as a member of Group management and as Senior Vice President of Strategy, Business Development, and Technology. For the past four years he has served as CEO of Strauss Coffee. Before joining Strauss, Harpaz served as CEO of the strategic consulting firm P.O.C. and as CEO of an international mining company.
Harpaz will be assuming his new role in Sabra-Obela in the first quarter of 2018.
