Antoine de Saint-Affrique

Antoine de Saint-Affrique is Chief Executive Officer of Danone, one of the world's leading food and beverage companies, a position he has held since September 2021. He also serves as a member of the company's Board of Directors, helping guide Danone's strategy for sustainable growth, innovation, and global health.

A graduate of ESSEC Business School, de Saint-Affrique also completed executive education at Harvard Business School. He began his career as a reserve officer in the French Navy before joining Unilever in 1989, where he spent more than two decades in increasingly senior leadership roles across marketing, operations, and executive management.

During his tenure at Unilever, he led businesses throughout Europe, North America, and emerging markets, serving as Chairman and CEO of Unilever Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia before becoming Executive Vice President for Central and Eastern Europe. He later led Unilever's global Skin category and, as President of Unilever Foods and a member of the company's Executive Committee, oversaw a multibillion-euro global business.

From 2015 to 2021, de Saint-Affrique served as Chief Executive Officer of Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. Under his leadership, the company expanded its global footprint, accelerated innovation, and strengthened its sustainability initiatives across the cocoa value chain.

Since joining Danone, de Saint-Affrique has focused on strengthening the company's performance while reinforcing its commitment to health, sustainability, and purpose-driven business. His international career has taken him to leadership positions across Africa, the United States, Hungary, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, giving him broad experience leading diverse global organizations.

In addition to his executive responsibilities, he has served on corporate and nonprofit boards and has been a member of the Institut Montaigne Steering Committee since 2025. Widely recognized for his strategic vision and global leadership, de Saint-Affrique is regarded as one of the consumer goods industry's most experienced international executives.