Mark Schneider became Nestlé’s Chief Executive Officer in January 2017. Together with the company’s 276,000 associates in 186 countries, he strives to enhance quality of life through the power of food with Nestlé’s 2,000+ brands.
Mark has worked with Nestlé’s Board and executive team to sharpen the company’s strategic focus on high-growth categories like coffee, pet care and nutritional health products. He has supported the company’s innovation efforts to bring new products even faster to market. Mark is actively engaged with the team in exploring healthy, delicious and nutritious products and enjoys trying new samples himself.
As part of its longstanding sustainability efforts, Nestlé committed to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. On this path to a low carbon future, Mark is particularly passionate about the just transition to a regenerative agriculture and the support for farming communities in Nestlé’s supply chain.
Prior to Nestlé, Mark was CEO of the Fresenius Group from 2003 to 2016. He joined Fresenius in 2001 as CFO of Fresenius Medical Care. Between 1989 and 2001, he held several senior executive positions with the Haniel Group, a privately held, diversified German multinational company.
Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A., the World Economic Forum (WEF) Board of Trustees and its International Business Council as well as the Board of the Consumer Good Forum.
He has a graduate degree in Finance and Accounting and a doctoral degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He also holds an MBA from Harvard University.
Mark was born and raised in Germany. He became a U.S. citizen in 2003.
Career
- 2017 Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland
- 2003 – 2016 Chief Executive Officer, Fresenius Group, Bad Homburg, Germany
- 2001 – 2003 Chief Financial Officer, Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany
- 1989 – 2001 Haniel Group
Chief Financial Officer, Gehe UK plc
Vice President Business Development North America
Various senior executive positions, Halfen GmbH
Assistant to Haniel Group Executive Board
Education
- 1993 Harvard Business School – MBA, with distinction
- 1992 University of St. Gallen – Ph.D. (Dr. oec.)
- 1988 University of St. Gallen – Lic. oec. degree in Finance and Accounting
Mandates
- Member of the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum
- Member, Board of Trustees and International Business Council, World Economic Forum – WEF
- Member, European Round Table for Industry – ERT
- Member, IMD Foundation Board
- Non-executive Director of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (2014 – 2017)