At the heart of every great achievement lies a series of valuable moments. A conversation that sparks a new idea. A partnership that opens new opportunities. A milestone that deserves recognition. A connection that changes perspectives.
For decades, Ferrero has been part of such moments, elevating occasions through craftsmanship, attention to detail and its unmistakable golden identity. Today, as professionals from across industries gather to exchange ideas and create new opportunities at BRAND MINDS, Ferrero continues its commitment to celebrating excellence and bringing people together.
We welcomed Federico Tecilla, General Manager Ferrero Romania to a conversation on what it means for an 80-year old family business to navigate today’s multiple challenges.
Ferrero is celebrating 80 years. How does it preserve the long-term vision and values of a family business while continuing to grow internationally?
Ferrero’s story began in 1946 in Alba, Italy, as a small family-run pastry business. Eighty years later, the company has grown into a global family business, with much loved brands such as Nutella®, Kinder®, Ferrero Rocher®, and Tic Tac®, alongside local
favorites, a presence in over 170 countries and more than 50, 000 employees. Yet the spirit at its heart remains remarkably similar: care deeply about quality, stay curious and never lose sight of the people behind the business.
For us, being a family company means thinking beyond the next quarter or the next business cycle. It means building something that can create value for generations. Growth is important, but the way we grow matters just as much. We want to grow while protecting the trust people place in our brands, supporting our partners, developing our people and contributing positively to the communities around us.
In Romania, we are celebrating 20 years. This is more than a business anniversary; it is a celebration of the relationships we have built with consumers, partners and colleagues. Our way of doing business is based on a simple idea: the best results are achieved with a “triple win”: value for our partners, value for consumers and value for Ferrero.
How does Ferrero support innovation and the future development of its product portfolio?
Innovation has always been part of Ferrero’s DNA. From Nutella to Kinder and Ferrero Rocher, each innovation was built around a powerful idea, combining quality, emotion and uniqueness. That mindset continues to apply today in the way we develop products, new and improved recipes, taste experiences, and create more efficient and responsible ways of working.
We keep on innovating by understanding how people live, what they need, and what moments of enjoyment matter to them. It is about combining imagination with science, technology, and craftsmanship to create products that feel relevant, distinctive, and meaningful.
Technology and engineering make this possible at scale. They help us achieve greater precision, food safety, consistency, and flexibility, while allowing our teams to keep improving the experience we offer consumers.
The acquisition of FULFIL Nutrition in 2023 is a good example of this evolution, and it perfectly illustrates how Ferrero continues to expand its portfolio across categories and towards new segments. While already offering consumers a broad range of products across multiple brands, Ferrero aims to leverage its innovative spirit and decades of expertise in the confectionery and sweet packaged food sector to further meet consumers’ evolving needs and expectations. It shows how we can remain true to our heritage, while opening the door to new ideas and new possibilities. We strive to keep being at the forefront of the industry, working towards a powerful innovation pipeline of products which do not compromise on taste and which are fully complementary to our core Ferrero offer.
This is part of a broader evolution of the portfolio, following the acquisitions of Eat Natural in 2021, to Power Crunch in 2025, and Bold Snacks and Purely Elizabeth in 2026.
Caring for the planet and communities is one of Ferrero’s core values. What are the company’s latest achievements in sustainability?
For Ferrero, sustainability is about responsibility and it is part of how we choose to do business. We embed it in how we source ingredients, make our products, design packaging, and build relationships with farmers and local communities.
Our 2025 Sustainability Report shows real, measurable progress in understanding where our key ingredients come from, right back to farms and plantations. Traceability creates accountability: in 2024/25, cocoa reached 98% traceability to farm polygon maps, palm oil 98.6% to plantation, hazelnuts 97% to farmer, and coffee 100% to plantation polygon maps. Nearly 99% of cocoa volumes were sourced via recognised standards (such as Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade), 100% of coffee beans were Rainforest Alliance Certified and 100% of palm oil was RSPOcertified. Ferrero also ranks as an industry leader in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard, securing the 2nd position out of 285 evaluated global companies with a score of 22.9 out of 24. All of this allows us to partner more closely with farmers, support better agricultural practices, protect natural resources and improve livelihoods.
We are taking practical steps to reduce our environmental impact by cutting emissions, increasing renewable electricity, and making packaging more recyclable. Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7.2% year-on-year, supported by 24 plants now running on 100% renewable electricity from the grid. On packaging, 92.9% of overall packaging was designed for recyclability, reusability or compostability, and redesign of Ferrero Rocher boxes has contributed to a 14.7% reduction in the plastic-to-product ratio versus the 2019/20 baseline, avoiding roughly 16,000 tonnes of plastic cumulatively since September 2021. At the same time, we continue to innovate in product and packaging design, for example by using more recycled material in glass jars and introducing alternatives such as paper spoons for some of our products.
But sustainability is more than percentages and targets. Behind every number there is a person, a farm, a community or a future generation. Our ambition is to ensure that the products people enjoy today can continue to be made responsibly tomorrow. That means protecting the land, supporting the people who help make our products possible and creating value that lasts. This is the kind of progress we want at Ferrero: progress that can be felt in our business, in people’s lives and in the health of our planet.
Does being family-owned change the way Ferrero thinks about long-term decisions?
Being family-owned gives Ferrero a strong sense of responsibility for the future. When we make decisions, we look not only at what is best today, but also at what will strengthen the company, our brands, people and communities over time.
This perspective encourages patience, courage and consistency. It allows us to invest in quality and innovation, support our partners through changing circumstances, develop our employees and work toward more resilient supply chains.
Of course, a family business must remain competitive and make disciplined decisions. We measure this by the trust we earn, the relationships we sustain and the legacy we leave behind. For Ferrero, the family spirit is closely connected to a belief in quality, respect, responsibility and care for people and the planet. These values help us protect what has made the company strong while giving us the confidence to shape what comes next.
How is AI changing the way teams work inside Ferrero?
AI is becoming an important tool for improving the way we work and access information, enabling us to consider multiple angles before we make decisions. It can support employees by helping them analyse data, identify patterns and work more efficiently.
At the same time, the adoption of AI must be responsible and human centered. Our People & Organisation approach plays an important role in helping employees develop the skills required for a changing workplace, supporting learning, encouraging responsible use of technology and ensuring that innovation strengthens the employee experience.
AI must enable the continuous development of our people. The most valuable outcomes come from combining technological capabilities with human experience, creativity, collaboration and judgment.
What does a human-driven future mean to Ferrero?
For Ferrero, a human-driven future is one where technology amplifies human potential. AI can help us work smarter, but creativity, empathy, judgment and values remain uniquely human.
As a family-owned company, we believe innovation should empower people, strengthen communities and create long-term value for future generations. This means investing in people as much as in technology: developing skills, encouraging curiosity, creating
opportunities to collaborate and giving people the confidence to contribute in their own way.
As we celebrate 20 years in Romania, this idea feels especially important. Our journey here has been built on trust, shared effort and long-term relationships. Looking ahead, we want to continue creating moments of enjoyment for consumers, operating responsibly and making a positive contribution to the people and communities connected to our business.
