Rui Barbas

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?   Today, I’m proud to share that we are launching Nestlé 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 in Brazil, our first global 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. As people live longer, they’re looking for practical ways to stay strong, energized, and mentally sharp in their everyday routines.   Nestlé 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 was created exactly for that: 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, helping to fill key nutritional gaps that can accelerate aging and supporting muscle strength, cognitive function, sleep quality, and metabolic health. We’re starting this journey in Latin America, followed by a later expansion to Europe and Asia.   𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥é’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. I’m proud to see Nestlé 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 debut in Brazil and proud of our teams for making this happen. Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/eP_g7Zq6

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There could be different points view on how the 2 Giants in the Beverage industry are writing their playbook in 2025. But below, is absolutely an interesting read. The Coca-Cola Company - it’s a mix of Penetration and New Market Development with a more different approach PepsiCo - Mainly focused on Range Selling with a mix of Penetration + NPD

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How Leadership Dynamics Shape the Market As we begin Q3 in 2025, it’s worth reflecting on the wave of C-suite changes that swept across the food and drink sector towards the end of last year. Leadership changes don’t just impact individual companies, they influence the entire market. A new CEO stepping in or a senior executive moving on often signals a shift in strategy, which, in a fast-paced industry like food and drink, can trigger ripples across innovation, investment, and competition. A strong leader can attract top talent, launch bold initiatives, and build investor confidence. On the flip side, an unexpected departure can create uncertainty and hesitation. For private equity-backed businesses, leadership moves are especially critical, growth, strategy, and, ultimately, value creation hinge on having the right team in place. Leadership transitions aren’t just internal milestones they’re key market signals, often providing early indicators of where the industry is heading next.

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PepsiCo and shareholder Elliott reach temporary truce agreement PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta has been negotiating with activist investor Elliott Investment Management for the past three months. The two companies announced a cooperation agreement, averting a potentially protracted and costly proxy fight worth hundreds of millions of dollars. PepsiCo has pledged to cut costs, streamline its product portfolio, and implement price reductions on some food items by early 2026 to boost its slowing North American food business. It also plans to restructure its organizational structure and workforce. Outsourcing distribution and aggressive divestiture of non-core assets were not included in the agreement. Elliott has refrained from nominating board candidates and will not seek a board seat, continuing to work constructively with the company. PepsiCo, in turn, has committed to continuing its board renewal efforts. The core of the agreement is cost reduction, product line streamlining, and price adjustments. The cost-cutting plan includes a new round of layoffs. This hedge fund manages approximately $76 billion in assets and is a highly influential investor on Wall Street, known for pressuring companies to replace executives and divest businesses to improve shareholder returns. They previously invested in Starbucks and played a role in the CEO change. Pepsi's current market capitalization is $199 billion, down more than 26% from its peak of $270 billion in 2023. The real test is yet to come. Whether Pepsi can return to a growth trajectory will determine whether this agreement is merely a temporary halt to the bleeding or a true turning point.

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🚀 Value Creation isn’t about improving EBITDA, its about improving DNA! Once upon a time, “value creation” meant two things: 💸 Cut costs. 📈 Add leverage. In today’s world - especially in retail - disruption moves faster than diligence. The best PE firms aren’t optimizing businesses anymore, they’re re-architecting them. 💡 The New Playbook for True value creation = ⚙️ Operational uplift 🌐 Digital capability 💬 Brand reinvention 🌱 ESG-driven purpose This is no longer about fixing what exists but about building what's next. 🛍️ Real-World Proof Bain Capital x Seven & i (Japan) → Digitized stores, optimized logistics, and rebuilt customer experience. From legacy supermarket… to tech-enabled retail platform. (IPO on the horizon.) Advent International x Lululemon → Invested in community and experience long before it was a buzzword. They didn’t fund stores — they built a movement. Now a $50B+ brand. Sycamore Partners x The Body Shop → Showed that sustainability is strategy. Purpose and profit can — and must — coexist. 📊 The Big Shift 👉 70–80% of PE returns now come from operational transformation, not leverage or multiple expansion. The best PE firms are no longer bankers, they’re builders. They’re investing in: Digital infrastructure 🧠 Customer ecosystems 💡 Brand equity ❤️ Sustainability & ESG 🌿 🔮 The Future The next wave of value creation won’t come from just cutting deeper but from creating capabilities the market will pay a premium for. The PE firms that win tomorrow will be the ones that can turn 🛒 Retailers → Platforms 🏷️ Brands → Ecosystems 🏬 Stores → Experiences That’s where repeatable, defensible value truly lives. 👉 Where will the next wave of value creation come from: retail, consumer, or something entirely new? #PrivateEquity #ValueCreation #RetailTransformation #Strategy #DigitalTransformation #ESG #Leadership #FutureOfRetail #Innovation

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As highlighted in AB InBev’s FY2025 results, our Africa business continues to show resilience and momentum—and I’m especially proud of what this means for Zambia. Over the past year, our super thunderous team has worked tirelessly to stabilise the business, rebuild momentum and return to a path of sustainable profitability in a challenging operating environment. Seeing Zambia reach its highest market share ever is a powerful signal that the turnaround is real and that our strategy is working.    Thank you to our colleagues, partners, consumers and stakeholders who continue to believe in this business and this market. We are making the turn, and we enter the next chapter with confidence, momentum and ambition.   ZB is Back! Zambia Ku Chalo!

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Zephyrhills brought together many of the factors that made the city the ideal choice for our new factory in the United States. In this video, I share some of the elements behind that decision, from its strategic location and strong infrastructure to the support from the city and county throughout the entire process, as well as a highly favorable environment for the growth of our business. My thanks to the City of Zephyrhills team for the opportunity, and especially to all the local supporters, consumers, and partners who are already part of this journey. We have very promising prospects ahead! #BauduccoFoods #Zephyrhills

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Pietro Satriano navigated one of the most difficult periods in the food service industry: a 56% drop in sales during the start of the COVID-19 shutdown. Yet his leadership wasn’t defined by panic. In this conversation with BCG Senior Advisor Jim Hemerling, Satriano shares how he built a resilient culture over a decade, from rebuilding merchandising from scratch to executing cost discipline while preserving morale. The key? “The plan was the easy part. 80% of our time was spent on bringing people along,” he says. Read the full interview in the second edition of “Being the CEO” here: https://on.bcg.com/4lHB8KU Harvard Business School

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I’m really proud to announce that Ferrero Group has signed an agreement to acquire BOLD SNACKS, a leading Brazilian premium protein snack company. Founded in 2018, Bold Snacks has seen strong growth from the outset, driven by its digital strategy and innovative portfolio of protein bars, and has recently expanded into whey powders. This transaction marks Ferrero’s first foray into the better-for-you segment in South America, further strengthening its presence in the category while supporting the continued development of its portfolio across key geographies. The planned acquisition adds Bold Snacks to Ferrero Group’s growing portfolio of Better-For-You brands, including Eat Natural and FULFIL in Europe and Power Crunch in North America. Read the full press release on Ferrero.com : https://lnkd.in/dvyFA8uF https://lnkd.in/e8d5dMe5 #WeAreFerrero

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