Fernando Merce, Nestle Waters North America
Fernando Mercé has been named president and c.e.o. of Nestle Waters North America.
 

 

STAMFORD, CONN. — Fernando Mercé has been named president and chief executive officer of Nestle Waters North America, effective May 1. He succeeds Tim Brown, who left to become president and chief operating officer at Chobani, L.L.C.

Mr. Mercé, formerly c.e.o. of Nestle Purina Latin America & Caribbean, will oversee all Nestle Waters North America’s operations in both the United States and Canada. He also will serve as a member of the global Nestle Waters board of directors.

“I am delighted that Fernando will be leading Nestle Waters North America as it begins an exciting new chapter,” said Maurizio Patarnello, chairman and c.e.o. of Nestle Waters. “His proven leadership, passion for innovation and deep commitment to creating a learning culture will enrich our strong N.W.N.A. teams and ensure that we build on our growth legacy to retain our leadership position in the category.”

Mr. Mercé began his career with Nestle in 1992 as an industrial engineer with the operations improvement team before joining marketing and steadily increasing his responsibilities. His roles have included e-business development, director of marketing for the Friskies brand and global marketing director in the PetCare Global Strategic Business Unit. Mr. Mercé also was vice-president and deputy of Nestle’s Americas Zone before moving to Nestle Purina.

Mr. Mercé received a bachelor’s of science degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University and a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.