Nestle announced Friday that Jeff Hamilton will be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Zone Americas effective July 1, as current CEO Steve Presley retires after nearly three decades with the company.

Hamilton, who currently leads Purina PetCare Zone Europe, brings extensive international experience, having served as CEO of Nestle Canada and in leadership roles across Asia, Africa and the US Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe praised Hamilton's "exceptional performance" and leadership, saying, "We look forward to working with Jeff to drive our growth strategy in Zone AMS."

Presley will step down from his executive roles on April 30. His departure follows a career that helped shape Nestle's presence across the Americas, one of its largest markets.