Heineken Italia reshuffles its management team

Changes at the top at Heineken Italia. Giuseppe Mele takes on the role of Supply Chain Director, whilst Paul Schalekamp becomes managing director of Partesa, a company operating in Italia in the fields of sales, distribution, consultancy and training for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector.

“The appointments,” reads a statement from the multinational, – form part of the ongoing evolution of Heineken’s operations in Italia and demonstrate the group’s commitment to building an increasingly agile and future-focused organisation, capable of supporting business growth, creating value throughout the supply chain and responding to changes in the beer and out-of-home markets.” “We are delighted,” says Alexander Koch, managing director of Heineken Italia, “to welcome Giuseppe Mele and Paul Schalekamp to their new roles. Their in-depth knowledge of the company, combined with the experience they have gained in diverse contexts and their ability to lead complex transformation programmes, are key assets for tackling the challenges of the coming years. We are confident that their contribution will be crucial in further strengthening our organisation, accelerating our transformation journey and supporting the growth of Heineken Italia and Partesa, with an approach that is increasingly market-focused, customer-centred and forward-looking.”

Giuseppe Mele will lead the transformation of Heineken Italia’s supply chain, with the aim of innovating its culture and working practices, strengthening integration between the various functions and enhancing the ability to create value throughout the supply chain. He joined the Heineken Group in 2002 and has built a career spanning more than twenty years, holding roles of increasing responsibility in Italia and, in recent years, abroad. Following his time as Brewery Manager at the Comun Nuovo brewery, he joined Partesa, where he helped shape the commercial strategy and subsequently led the transformation of the company’s supply chain. Since 2023, he has been Supply Chain Manager at Heineken Switzerland, where he has championed the development of an increasingly resilient, integrated and future-focused organisation.

Schalekamp, Partesa’s new CEO, will be tasked with continuing the company’s transformation by strengthening its competitiveness in the Ho.re.ca. sector. He joined the Group in 2007 and has gained experience in the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Jamaica. He subsequently held positions of increasing responsibility at both Partesa and Heineken Italia, where he led Strategic Business Controlling and Supply Chain Finance. He will now be responsible for managing the ‘Partesa prima!’ project, a new operational and commercial model introduced at the start of the year to make the organisation more agile, integrated and customer-focused, to simplify processes, to improve the quality of execution and to create value throughout the supply chain. “Our mission to shape the future of the Ho.Re.Ca. sector remains our guiding principle: we will do so with responsibility, ambition and together with our people,” comments Partesa’s new chief executive.