Today, Mathijs Peters, responsible for EU Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo was elected President of the European Snacks Association asbl (ESA) for a two-year term. He succeeds Dr. Rolf Nilges, Intersnack’s Director of Research & Development and External Affairs.

Mathijs, who joined PepsiCo in 2017, has more than 20 years of experience working with several leading European and American consumer goods companies in retail, wholesale and on the manufacturer side.

“Rolf Nilges, with his dedication and deep industry knowledge, left his mark on ESA, and replacing him will not be the easiest of tasks. Moreover, I am succeeding him at an exciting time, with a host of policy initiatives that cover our entire value chain from farm to fork, and even beyond, coming our way. Building on the industry’ efforts and achievements to date and its strong connection to all parts of the food chain, I am confident that we will be able to contribute to a more sustainable food system in a tangible and meaningful way. I am honoured and excited to be ESA’s new President, and look forward to further strengthening ESA and its reputation”, reacted Mathijs Peters.

ESA’s Director General*, Sebastian Emig, strongly welcomes the Board’s decision and looks forward to a fruitful collaboration:

“We are excited to be working with Mathijs as our new President. He is a seasoned public affairs professional with deep knowledge of the legislative and policy environment impacting food manufacturers and also knows perfectly how trade associations operate in Brussels. He will be the leader the association needs in these times to make the voice of the sector heard in Brussels.”

“I would also like to warmly thank Rolf for his invaluable contribution to ESA in the past years. He has been a real driving force in the organisation, relentlessly promoting the interest of savour snacks manufacturers and helping the sector to achieve significant successes; especially in times of a global pandemic We wish him a happy retirement and all the best for its future endeavours”.

*in his capacity as permanent representative of PrimeConsulting BXLBCN SL