Nestlé UK and Ireland has confirmed a series of senior leadership appointments that will take effect in 2026, covering its coffee business, manufacturing operations, and foodservice division.
The changes impact three key roles across the UK and Ireland market, reinforcing Nestlé’s leadership structure across retail, out-of-home, and production activities.
Katya Simmons has been appointed Managing Director for Coffee at Nestlé UK & Ireland. She moves into the role after more than seven years leading Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland.
Simmons began her career with Nestlé in Russia in 2002, holding senior commercial and marketing roles before becoming Managing Director of Nestlé Professional Russia and Eurasia. She relocated to the UK in 2017 and has since overseen Nestlé Professional’s commercial performance, customer partnerships, and business model development across the region.
Her appointment places renewed focus on the coffee category, one of Nestlé’s most competitive and strategically important segments in both grocery retail and out-of-home channels.
Martin Krohn has been named Head of Technical and Production for Nestlé UK & Ireland. In this role, he will take responsibility for coffee, confectionery, and food manufacturing sites, including Mindful Chef and Simply Cook operations.
Krohn joined Nestlé in 2005 and has held a range of senior manufacturing and industrial performance roles across Germany and Eastern Europe. Since 2021, he has led confectionery manufacturing for the KitKat and wafer cluster across Nestlé’s European zone.
His appointment signals a continued emphasis on factory performance, safety, and quality standards across Nestlé’s UK and Ireland production footprint.
Lorenzo Vigano has been appointed Managing Director of Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland. He joins the market after leading Nestlé Professional Turkey, where the business expanded rapidly and moved into the group’s top ten foodservice markets.
Vigano brings more than a decade of experience across Nestlé’s out-of-home beverage and coffee operations in Italy and across Europe, including responsibility for European beverage strategy development.
The leadership changes come as Nestlé continues to align its UK and Ireland operations around category focus, manufacturing efficiency, and foodservice growth, with coffee and out-of-home consumption remaining key strategic priorities heading into 2026.
