Keurig Dr Pepper Canada appoints new leader

Ryan Bahadur, interim president, Keurig Dr Pepper Canada

Ryan Bahadur takes over as interim president of Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada), effective immediately.

He replaces Olivier Lemire, who was appointed president of the Canadian operations in October 2021. Lemire joined Keurig Dr Pepper Canada in 2011 as sales director and held various leadership roles, including in HR and supply chain, before taking over the top job. It was recently announced that Lemire is taking on a new role as head of Keurig Dr Pepper’s U.S. Coffee business unit.

In a LinkedIn post, Bahadur paid homage to Lemire' leadership, adding: "As I take on this role, my focus is to continue to scale our business, unlock new opportunities, and ensure KDP Canada remains a growth champion within our industry. I look forward to working with our team, customers, and partners as we continue this exciting journey."

Bahadur joined KDP Canada in 2018 as vice-president, finance and IT. In an announcement, the company said "he has played a central role in driving sustainable growth, strengthening partnerships, and positioning our business for long-term success."

The appointment comes in the aftermath of an earlier announcement from KDP that it will acquire European coffee conglomerate JDE Peet’s for US$18 billion, with the merged companies to then split into two separate companies – Global Coffee Co., and Beverage Co..

The leadership shake up comes just weeks after KDP announced it was to acquire European coffee leader JDE Peet’s.

KDP plans to separate into two independent, U.S.-listed publicly traded companies, creating a scaled growth challenger in North America’s refreshment beverages market (Beverage Co.) and a pure-play coffee company (Global Coffee Co.).

According to KDP, the acquisition of JDE Peet’s will significantly enhance KDP’s coffee positioning, creating a strong, resilient and diversified global portfolio. It will also unlock incremental operating and financial benefits, including approximately $400 million in anticipated cost synergies to be realized over three years and EPS accretion expected to start in year one of the combination.