Mondelēz International has appointed Zakaria Dahkoun as its new chief procurement officer, effective August 1, as the company enters a potentially more stable phase for one of its most important sourcing commodities: cocoa.
The appointment was confirmed by Desiree Battaglia, Global Media Relations Manager at Mondelēz, in an email to Supply Chain Dive.
Dahkoun joins the role after serving most recently as senior vice president of cocoa enterprise at the company behind brands including Oreo and Chips Ahoy. During more than 13 years with Mondelēz, he has held several senior sourcing positions, including SVP of global direct materials sourcing.
According to Battaglia, his experience spans end-to-end procurement across a wide range of categories and geographies. Overall, Dahkoun brings more than 21 years of procurement experience to the position.
He succeeds Thomas Gaengler, who spent four years as Mondelēz’s chief procurement officer before moving to chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut earlier this month, where he has taken up the position of chief operating officer.
Dahkoun takes charge of procurement following several years of significant volatility in cocoa markets. Rising cocoa prices had put pressure on Mondelēz’s sourcing strategy and contributed to changes in the company’s product mix, including the introduction of products that rely less heavily on chocolate.
Market conditions, however, are now showing signs of improvement.
Speaking earlier this month at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference, Mondelēz EVP and COO Luca Zaramella said the outlook for cocoa supply and demand in the coming years is considerably different and more favorable.
Zaramella noted that the market is currently oversupplied, following increased production by cocoa suppliers in response to the volatility seen over previous years.
He also pointed out that production over the past couple of years has been more than sufficient to cover the deficit that had previously contributed to a depletion of cocoa stocks.
The improved supply picture comes as Mondelēz prepares for another major development across its portfolio. The company is planning a significant overhaul of its Oreo brand in 2027, including the introduction of new formulas that, according to Zaramella, will result in better labels.
For Dahkoun, the new procurement role therefore comes at a time when Mondelēz is managing both a changing cocoa market and a broader transformation of its product portfolio.
