Agthia Group Appoints Jeroen Nijs as Group Chief Financial Officer to Propel Strategic Transformation
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, June 4, 2025 – Agthia Group PJSC, a preeminent player in the food and beverage sector within the Middle East, has announced the appointment of Jeroen Nijs as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This significant addition to Agthia’s leadership team marks a pivotal moment in the company’s ongoing transformation journey, underscoring its commitment to enhancing operational excellence, ensuring financial discipline, and focusing on long-term resilience and value creation.
With a robust career spanning over 25 years, Nijs brings a wealth of experience and expertise from leading multinational fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) enterprises. His impressive tenure includes senior financial roles at renowned companies such as Flora Food Group, Mondelēz International, Danone, and PepsiCo. Most recently, Nijs served as the Global Deputy CFO for Flora Food Group, where he was instrumental in implementing AI-driven Revenue Growth Management, spearheading post-carve-out operational enhancements, and overseeing global finance functions related to commercial and supply chain optimization.
Nijs’s previous roles at Mondelēz Europe highlight his multifaceted capabilities, where he excelled as Finance Director for Mergers and Acquisitions, Category CFO for the Meals division, and Head of Asset Management and Treasury. This array of responsibilities demonstrates his strategic acumen and comprehensive understanding of complex financial frameworks.
In a comment regarding Nijs’s appointment, Salmeen Al Ameri, Managing Director and CEO of Agthia Group, lauded his arrival as timely, emphasizing the critical phase of transformation the company is currently navigating. “Jeroen joins Agthia at a key moment in our transformation journey, as we sharpen our focus on operational excellence, financial discipline, and long-term resilience,” remarked Al Ameri. “His global expertise, digital mindset, and profound commitment to financial innovation will be pivotal in our pursuit of becoming a more agile and data-driven organization.” Al Ameri further stressed the importance of Nijs’s collaborative leadership style, which aligns with Agthia’s core values and aspirations.
Nijs expressed his enthusiasm for joining Agthia during this transformative period. “It is a privilege to join Agthia at such a pivotal time,” he stated. “The Group’s ambitious vision and sense of purpose resonate strongly with my own values as a finance leader, as well as my passion for blending purpose with performance. I am eager to collaborate with the talented leadership team and my colleagues to drive the next chapter of Agthia’s transformation—to foster an agile, data-driven, and consumer-centric organization that delivers sustainable, profitable growth.”
Nijs holds a Master of Science in Business and Information Systems Engineering from the University of Hasselt in Belgium. His academic background, coupled with his extensive professional experience, positions him uniquely to steer Agthia into its next growth phase.
Following Nijs’s appointment, Hala Hobeiche Katounas, who served as the Group’s interim CFO since January 2025, will return to her previous role as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions. Her leadership during the transitional period has been crucial in maintaining financial stability and ensuring continuity within Agthia’s operational framework.
As the food and beverage industry faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities, Agthia’s strategic pivot towards a more resilient and innovative business model is commendable. The appointment of a seasoned executive like Nijs demonstrates Agthia’s commitment to not only reacting to the evolving marketplace but proactively shaping its future.
In an era where consumer preferences are continually changing and sustainability is becoming increasingly paramount, Agthia’s focus on agility and data-driven decision-making will likely enhance its competitive edge in the global FMCG landscape. As the company embarks on this significant journey, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how Nijs’s leadership translates into tangible results that affirm Agthia’s position as a leading force in the region’s food and beverage sector.
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