IFF’s largest division has been leaderless since December when Nicolas Mirzayantz, the former head of Nourish, stepped down after a 34-year tenure at the company. Since then, Clyburn has been at the helm, but IFF has been actively seeking a permanent leader for the division. During last month’s earnings call, Clyburn mentioned that the company was “looking to attract a well-regarded leader with a strong track record of success that can drive performance.”
Arora brings extensive experience in developing and expanding Kellogg’s product lines across various categories and regions. In his most recent role, he managed Kellogg’s $7 billion U.S. portfolio, which included well-known brands such as Pringles, RXBar, and Special K. Clyburn stated, “His expertise in commercializing innovation and his record of delivering strong P&L performance across food and beverage categories make him an excellent choice to lead Nourish.” He added that Arora’s experience with consumer packaged goods (CPG) and consumer insights would be invaluable as the company continues to innovate and collaborate with customers to drive growth.
Recently, the Nourish division has faced challenges. In IFF’s latest earnings report, sales for this division dropped by 5% compared to the same period last year, with significant declines in ingredients. Clyburn noted that the division accounted for 25% of IFF’s total sales and was responsible for 60% of the company’s volume decline during the quarter. While IFF executives expected these results due to capacity limitations and customers having stockpiled ingredients, Clyburn emphasized that the company has been working to enhance its relationships with customers. They are also focused on identifying growth opportunities and developing pipelines for future projects, especially in areas like citrate with vitamin D.
As Clyburn enters his second year as CEO, he faces numerous challenges. Reports suggest that the company is considering selling its Lucas Meyer Cosmetics unit, which produces non-food ingredients for personal care products, with a potential sale value of $1 billion, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, IFF appointed new leaders for its non-food business units this week.