Aldo Cristiano, head of institutional affairs for Ferrero Germany, has been elected as president of CAOBISCO for a two-year term. He succeeds Mary Barnard, president of U.S. sales at Mondelēz International.

Cristiano has been in the global confectionery business for more than 20 years, serving in roles such as head of global raw material procurement and head of sustainability, as well as leading roles for sector-wide initiatives and institutions.

Within CAOBISCO, he chaired the Cocoa Committee and the CSR & Sustainability Committee from 2003 to 2015.

From 2007 to 2016, Cristiano was a board member of the International Cocoa Initiative. From 2007 to 2017, Cristiano also served as a member of the Consultative Board for the International Cocoa Organization. 

Additionally, from 2012 to 2018, Cristiano served as a member of the Board of Directors for the World Cocoa Foundation. From 2015 to 2018 he served as chairman of the Federation of Cocoa Commerce.

At present, Cristiano is the vice president of the BDSI (German Confectionery Association) and board member of the German Food Association (Lebensmittelverband Deutschland).

Now serving as CAOBISCO vice presidents are Francesco Tramontin, global public affairs director, Mondelēz International, replacing Mary Barnard; and Paolo Casoni, head of the regulatory, general affairs, legal and IP departments of the Group Perfetti van Melle, who will become president in 2022.