Esteves will serve as the country’s top executive, responsible for leading the local business, driving commercial growth, and overseeing P&L and operations.

BRAZIL – IMCD Group has nominated João Esteves as Managing Director for Brazil, effective 10 August 2026, in a move designed to strengthen its leadership team and accelerate growth across Latin America.
The Rotterdam-based speciality chemicals and ingredients distributor framed the appointment as part of a broader effort to sharpen its commercial focus and scale its market presence in the Americas, where it has rolled out several senior leadership changes in 2026.
Esteves will be expected to strengthen relationships with global principals and customers across key sectors such as personal care, food and nutrition, and pharmaceuticals.
Nicolas Kaufmann, President Latin America, stated, “João Esteves knows IMCD inside out and, over the years, he has built broad international experience, leading through growth and complexity across regions.”
“That perspective, combined with his strong understanding of our commercial mindset, our business focus, and the Brazilian market, makes him well placed to lead the team there.”
Esteves brings nearly three decades of international commercial and management experience to the role, having previously served as Finance Director for IMCD Brazil before stepping up to managing director.
His background spans multiple industries and geographies, and he holds an MBA in International Business from Saint Louis University alongside advanced finance studies at the Wharton School.
For the beauty and personal care sectors, the reinforced Brazil leadership is expected to support stronger technical service, formulation support and market development, aligning with IMCD’s strategy as a global distribution and formulation partner for specialty ingredients.
Brazil, one of the region’s largest markets for beauty, personal care and consumer goods, is a strategic priority for IMCD as it seeks to deepen relationships with global principals and local customers while expanding its technical and formulation capabilities.
Within IMCD’s Americas structure, his appointment follows other key moves, including Vlad Miller as President for the United States, Reanne Rust as Managing Director for Canada, and Santiago Beltran as Managing Director for Central America, all intended to enhance local decision-making and drive customer-centric growth.
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