COFFEE OPERATING UNIT LEADERSHIP TEAM
The global coffee business is led by Russ Torres, Chief Executive Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit (COU) and future Chief Executive Officer of Global Coffee Co., together with the Coffee Operating Unit Leadership Team (COULT). The COULT comprises the CFO, three Segment Presidents, and the Chief Officers responsible for Marketing, R&D, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Strategy & Transformation, and Legal.
CEO
RUSS TORRES
RUSS TORRES
Russ Torres is Chief Executive Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit, where he oversees the integration of KDP's and JDE Peet's coffee businesses, leading the transition to become an independent public company. Upon separation, Torres will serve as Chief Executive Officer and join the Board of Directors of the future Global Coffee Co., a pure play global powerhouse that will employ more than 25,000 people and serve consumers in over 100 markets.
Torres brings more than 30 years of consumer products leadership experience, with a track record of scaling global businesses, building leading brands and driving enterprise transformation. He joined the company from Kimberly-Clark, where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing global operations across 30+ countries, having previously led their North America business through a period of accelerated growth.
Prior to Kimberly-Clark, Torres served as Group President at Newell Brands, where he led a broad portfolio of consumer brands and businesses across global markets. Earlier, he held senior leadership positions at Mondelēz International and Bain & Company, building deep expertise in commercial strategy, business transformation, organizational effectiveness and consumer-focused growth. Across his career, Torres has led large, complex organizations through significant change while delivering sustainable growth and strengthening operational performance.
He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in physics from Dartmouth College.
CFO
YANG XU
YANG XU
Yang Xu (French) is the CFO of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
Prior to JDE Peet’s, Yang spent 2 years as Chief Financial Officer with the Swiss-based Straumann Group, a global leader in tooth replacement and orthodontic solutions. Before her tenure at Straumann, Yang spent more than 5 years with the Kraft Heinz company as Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Development and Global Treasurer and was a member of the company’s Executive Committee.
Yang has more than 20 years of experience in finance, strategy, operational and commercial functions. Her career started with General Electric Healthcare in Europe. She then worked for Whirlpool Corporation, rising through various financial roles of increasing responsibility across corporate functions, business units and regions. Her experience was further enhanced by leading commercial and operational functions outside of finance. During her career, Yang has worked in many countries across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
Yang holds a Master’s degree in management from HEC Paris and holds various qualifications of MBA programs at London Business School and Stanford University.
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
RICARD BARRI VALENTINES
RICARD BARRI VALENTINES
Ricard Barri Valentines (Spanish) is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
With over 18 years of international marketing and brand experience across the Food & Beverages, Home Care, and Beauty Industries, Ricard has a proven track record of leading brands and teams to success through transformative marketing strategies. He has consistently delivered impactful growth by aligning efforts around a shared vision and purpose.
Previously, Ricard served as the Global Category Director Instant Coffee & Liquid Coffee (2021 – 2024). He was instrumental in the launch of our aluminium capsules business, establishing L’OR as the company’s global premium coffee platform, and playing key roles in the turnaround of Instant Coffee and Jacobs.
Ricard holds a Master of Arts in Business Administration from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER
KHALED RABBANI
KHALED RABBANI
Khaled Rabbani (Dutch) is the Chief Legal Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
Khaled has more than 27 years of international Legal and Corporate Affairs experience, having worked in The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
Prior to joining JDE Peet’s, Khaled served as the General Counsel, Head of Compliance and interim Company Secretary of Majid al Futtaim Holding in Dubai, UAE, one of the world’s leading lifestyle, retail and real-estate companies.
Khaled holds a Bachelor of Arts (History/International Relations) from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School.
CHIEF HR OFFICER
JOHAN VAN GOSSUM
JOHAN VAN GOSSUM
Johan Van Gossum (Belgian) is the Chief HR Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
Prior to JDE Peet’s, Johan spent 15 years gaining valuable experience in a variety of leadership positions across HR, Finance, Sales, M&A and IT at ABinBev including time as VP FP&A, VP People Continuity, VP Global Transformation and VP People Europe/ International.
Earlier in his career, he worked for Accenture on various assignments across Europe and the United States focused on organisational design, culture building and financial performance management.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Vlerick Leuven-Gent Management School and a Master of Law from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
CHIEF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
CAROLYN ADAMS
CAROLYN ADAMS
Carolyn Adams (British) is the Chief R&D Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
With over 37 years of working in FMCG, Carolyn is an experienced and accomplished Research and Development professional with a demonstrated track record of working in the Global Food & Beverage Industry and specifically innovation and technology development and deployment for Coffee & Tea. Carolyn started her career in R&D for General Foods as an R&D Process Technician, her career has primarily focused on consumer led innovation whether through product or process development. She has a true passion for product innovation and a particular deep understanding of Coffee & Tea fundamentals with a particular expertise for Instant Coffee and Ingredient Technology.
Along with Global R&D positions, Carolyn has also held successful roles within European Supply Chain, for Operations as Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager at the Banbury UK Instant coffee production plant (Mondelez International) and also European Instant Coffee Category Business Development Manager (Kraft Foods Europe).
Carolyn attended Oxford Brookes University and received a HNC in Business Finance.
CHIEF SUPPLY CHAIN OFFICER
EVERT MEINDERTSMA
EVERT MEINDERTSMA
Evert Meindertsma (Dutch) is the Chief Supply Chain Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
Prior to becoming Chief Supply Officer, he was Operations Director for the APAC region, based in Malaysia. Having been at JDE Peet's since 2008, he has also held other key roles, notably Global R&D Director and Category Manufacturing Director of Europe.
On the supply side, he has expertise in manufacturing, operational excellence, product launches and network optimization.
Prior to joining JDE Peet's, he worked for Procter & Gamble for 12 years in Belgium, the USA and the Netherlands.
Evert holds a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Groningen.
CHIEF STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION OFFICER
GUILLAUME DELLE VIGNE
GUILLAUME DELLE VIGNE
Guillaume Delle Vigne (Belgian, Argentinean) is the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). He has around 15 years of experience within the FMCG industry.
Guillaume joined JDE Peet’s in 2021 as the Global Treasurer and with his leadership he reshaped the Global Treasury organization through talent, technology and capabilities building. He strengthened JDE Peet’s financial foundations by refinancing the whole balance sheet and steadily improving credit metrics over time. In mid-2024, his financial leadership and discipline led to the extension of his responsibilities to M&A and the Office of the CFO.
Prior to joining JDE Peet’s, Guillaume spent almost a decade at AB InBev, with global and regional positions, where he played a central role in multiple transformational M&As and successfully led strategic cross-functional efforts in Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa.
He has a Master’s degree in Business Engineering from the Solvay Business School and started his career in banking.
PRESIDENT NORTH AMERICA
OLIVIER LEMIRE
OLIVIER LEMIRE
Olivier Lemire is the President of North America of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
In his 14 years with KDP, he has held leadership positions in commercial strategy, human resources, supply chain, partnerships and sales. Most recently, Olivier served as President of KDP Canada, overseeing the Company’s strategic initiatives, brand portfolio growth, and operational excellence within the Canadian market.
With over two decades of experience in global sales, strategy, and operations within the CPG industry, Olivier is known for pairing strategic vision with a collaborative style to deliver lasting business impact. Prior to joining KDP, he held pivotal roles in business operations and sales management with industry titans like Procter & Gamble and Nike.
During his tenure as President of KDP Canada, Olivier strengthened the Company’s market position, advanced its sustainability agenda, and enhanced cross-functional integration across corporate and commercial operations. As part of the creation of KDP, he also spearheaded the strategic merger of Keurig Canada Inc. and Canada Dry Mott’s Inc., delivering a seamless transition that enhanced scale, agility, and long-term competitiveness.
Olivier holds an MBA from Laval University and the Grenoble School of Management. Before transitioning to sales and management, he pursued his passion for coaching professional sports and studied kinesiology.
PRESIDENT EUROPE
JOHN BRANDS
JOHN BRANDS
John Brands (Dutch) is the President of Europe of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). Since joining JDE Peet's in 2015, he has served as General Manager for both the Netherlands and the DACH region.
He has over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and general management within the FMCG industry. He worked at Procter & Gamble as Marketing and Sales Director, at the Boston Consulting Group as a senior consultant, and at Coca-Cola as Country Director.
He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology.
PRESIDENT GROWTH & EMERGING MARKETS
TATIANA EFREMOVA
TATIANA EFREMOVA
Tatiana Efremova (Russian) is the President, Growth & Emerging Markets of the Coffee Operating Unit of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). She has over 20 years of experience in the FMCG industry. She originally joined JDE Peet's in 2015 as the General Manager for Russia and under her leadership the company has achieved strong year-on-year growth and grew share in the Russian coffee market.
Prior to joining JDE Peet's, Tatiana served as General Category Manager of Beverages for Mondelēz International. She began her career at Procter & Gamble where she served in a number of roles, including Commercial Director for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
She is a graduate from the Lomonosov Moscow State University.