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Swiss-based food and beverage company Nestle has appointed Bernie Stefan as CEO of its Türkiye operations to take over the role from Leszek Wacirz, who will move to a new position at Nestle’s global headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland.
Stefan will focus on advancing Nestle's priorities around sustainable growth, innovation and value creation in the country while leading the company's growth and transformation efforts, according to a company statement.
Stefan has more than 25 years of international leadership experience at Nestle, with roles spanning Europe, Asia and Oceania, the company said.
He joined the company in France in 2000 and became Regional Business Head in 2017, overseeing markets including South Asia, China and Oceania, before being appointed regional vice president in 2022. In 2023, he became chairman and general manager of Nestle Sri Lanka, where he led the company’s transformation.
Wacirz has served as Nestle Türkiye CEO for four and a half years and will move to the company’s global headquarters in Vevey on Oct. 1, 2026, to lead strategic projects under the Europe Region’s 2030 transformation roadmap.
Stefan will formally take over as Nestlé Türkiye CEO on Oct. 1, 2026.
Nestle Türkiye is part of the company’s Europe business, where the Türkiye and Israel market group generated 1.6 billion Swiss francs ($2 billion) in sales in 2025, accounting for 9.1% of the zone’s revenue.
The Europe region generated 17.6 billion Swiss francs in sales in 2025, or 25.2% of Nestle’s 89.5 billion Swiss francs in global revenue.
The Swiss company has operated in Türkiye since 1875, with operations spanning food and beverages, medical nutrition, water and pet nutrition. The company currently operates two factories in Türkiye and directly employs 3,800 people, according to information on its website.
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