Innovate To Grow

Steven Debrabandere took on the role of Kraft Heinz Indonesia managing director just under 18 months ago. Since then he’s set a new mission statement for the company and is looking forward to turning it into a reality.

- Nikki Stefanoff

After finishing a master’s degree in engineering followed by an MBA, Steven Debrabandere made the conscious decision to go into the fast-moving consumer goods industry.“My career started in 2000 with Procter & Gamble in Brussels on the management trainee program, where I worked my way up through the company’s sales and marketing department over nine years, before ending up in a sales leadership role within the Benelux Management team,” he says. “After this, I moved into a global role located in Geneva, working on market strategies for the fine fragrances businesses of Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, and Hugo Boss.

“I then left P&G and continued my career with RB [Reckitt Benckiser], moving to Russia as Sales Director. After three years, I moved further east and became Managing Director (within RB) for Indonesia, which is how I became known to Kraft Heinz. I was excited when they offered me the Managing Director role as it gave me the opportunity to lead the Indonesian arm of one of the biggest food companies in the world.”

From Belgium to Switzerland to Russia and now Indonesia, Steven’s career path has not only given him the opportunity to travel but also the experience of learning to work with different cultures. This is something he is incredibly grateful for, and a skill that has put him in good stead for this relatively new role.