KYOTO, JAPAN —Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelez International, and Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, were named co-chairs of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the only CEO-led organization that brings together both manufacturers and retailers globally. They succeed James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, and Daniel Zhang, chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group.
The new co-chairs spoke at the Global Summit in Kyoto, Japan, about their desire to accelerate a greater combined impact for people and the planet by driving action at scale across CGF’s broad membership.
“The consumer goods sector has a critical part in delivering the transition to a greener, healthier and more resilient future — and I’m delighted to be helping lead the CGF as we support members in the global adoption of beneficial practices and standards,” Van de Put said.
CGF unites CEOs from over 400 member companies across 70 countries and provides a forum for driving change in the consumer goods sector. The co-chairs will oversee CGF’s efforts to be a catalyst to contribute to better lives through business across the world.
CGF’s membership represents a diverse group of companies, each with their own pressures, priorities and regional factors. Van de Put and Muller will focus on mobilizing members around a set of shared actions which aim to deliver a positive impact.
Eight coalitions of action will drive collective progress on forests, human rights, plastics, healthier lives, food waste, food safety, supply chains and product data. In addition to maintaining the momentum of each coalition, Van de Put and Muller have identified specific areas to focus on:
- Tackling deforestation
- Moving a circular economy for plastics
- Protecting human rights
- Boosting employee health and wellbeing
- Supporting faster decarbonization progress
“At Mondelez International, we have embedded sustainability as the fourth pillar of our long-term growth strategy,” Van de Put said. “Many businesses are making great strides on sustainability — and there are inspiring examples of leadership and innovation across CGF’s membership — but we must all go further. The time is now to accelerate collaboration and solutions to drive change that will protect the planet and ensure thriving communities.”
