Nestlé Waters North America names Mercé CEO

STAMFORD, Conn. — Nestle Waters North America has named a new chief executive. Fernando Mercé has been named president and CEO and will now oversee all of Nestlé Waters North America’s U.S. and Canadian operations, as well as serve on Nestlé Waters’ board of directors.

"I am delighted that Fernando will be leading Nestlé Waters North America as it begins an exciting new chapter," Nestlé Waters chairman and CEO Maurizio Patarnello said. "His proven leadership, passion for innovation and deep commitment to creating a learning culture will enrich our strong NWNA teams and ensure that we build on our growth legacy to retain our leadership position in the category."

Mercé was most recently CEO of Nestlé Purina Latin America and Caribbean division, where the company said he presided over a period of sustained growth, including double-digit organic growth in profitability and market share, while also introducing pet care category innovations.

“Today, we are at an inflection point in the North American consumer beverage category, and I'm looking forward to becoming a part of it,” Mercé said. "Following a shift over many years, bottled water is now America's number one beverage choice, displacing carbonated soft drinks. As this migration continues, we are well-positioned to expand in the United States and Canada with leading brands that are poised for strong growth."

Mercé started at Nestlé in 1992 working as an industrial engineer on its operations improvement team. Following that role he joined marketing and steadily increased his responsibilities. His roles at the company have included e-business development, marketing director for the Friskies brand and global marketing director for the company’s pet care global strategic business unit. Before joining Nestlé Purina he was VP and deputy of Nestlé’s Americas zone.