Danone has been busy. The company reported a return to growth across all categories in the second quarter after posting a 6.6% net sales increase on a like-for-like basis. The owner of Evian and Activia posted €6.17 billion in second-quarter sales, up 3.6% on a reported basis. “We maintained strong momentum in our EDP [Essential Dairy & Plant-Based] business, led by growth in dairy, and plant-based reporting its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, and a solid performance in Europe and North America,” said interim co-CEOs of Danone, Véronique Penchienati-Bosetta and Shane Grant.
The company announced an overhaul of its current board, which will see nearly all of the members replaced gradually over the next two years. The election of new directors will be proposed at Danone’s 2022 and 2023 shareholder meetings. Barry Callebaut head, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, will become Danone’s new CEO, effective September 15, 2021.
Danone finalized the sale of its approx. 9.8% minority stake in dairy business China Mengniu Dairy for €1.6 billion; purchased a majority stake in Harmless Harvest, a producer of coconut water and other organic coconut-based products; and agreed to acquire Earth Island, maker of the dairy-free Follow Your Heart range, in a move to strengthen its plant-based business.
| Ranking (last five years): | |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| Year end: | December 2020 |
| Currency: | Euros |
| Total sales, local currency: | 23,620 |
| Food sales, local currency: | 23,620 |
| Total sales, $m: | 26,927 |
| Food sales, $m: | 26,927 |
| KEY LEADERSHIP | |
| Gilles Schnepp, Chairman | |
| Véronique Penchienati-Bosetta, co-CEO and CEO International | |
| Shane Grant, co-CEO and CEO North America | |
| Juergen Esser, Chief Financial, Technology and Data Officer | |
| Floris Wesseling, President Europe |
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