In a newly created role, Jon Fernandez de Barrena has been named as Nomad Food’s incoming president for the Southern Europe region.
Joining on 13 April 2026, Fernandez de Barrena will be tasked with leading the manufacturing business across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Adriatics.
He joins Nomad from his previous role as chief executive officer of Alvinesa Natural Ingredients, a position he had held since July 2023.
The UK-based multinational has also announced its intention to appoint a further president to oversee its Central Europe region later this year, with the role set to lead its commercial operations across the German, Austrian, Swiss, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian markets.
In their respective roles, the Southern Europe and Central Europe presidents will head up the company’s continental portfolio of brands, which include Findus, Iglo, Ledo and Frikom.
“These appointments represent an important step as we continue to strengthen our focus and unlock the full potential of our markets across Europe,” said chief executive officer Dominic Brisby.
“Both roles will help sharpen our commercial execution, enhance agility and create greater alignment between our local teams, our brands and our long-term strategic priorities.”
He continued: “I am delighted to welcome Jon this month and look forward to completing the appointment of our president for Central Europe later this year. Each leader will bring valuable expertise to our executive team and play a pivotal role in driving sustainable growth for Nomad Foods.”
The latest announcement follows news of Simon Ball’s appointment as president of Nomad’s UK & Ireland business, where he is responsible for brands including Birds Eye, Aunt Bessie’s and Goodfella’s.
In a further move to strengthen its top team, Nomad has also unveiled plans to appoint a chief marketing officer, tasked with leading a “strengthened and more unified” marketing function spanning brand development, communications, RDQ and innovation. All three new roles will form part of the firm’s executive team.
