New Beiersdorf CEO poaches from rivals in management reshuffle

BERLIN (Reuters) - Beiersdorf (BEIG.DE), the maker of Nivea skin creams, is shaking up its top management team when new chief executive Stefan De Loecker takes over on Jan. 1, poaching managers from rivals Procter & Gamble (PG.N) and Reckitt Benckiser (RB.L).

Beiersdorf said Asim Naseer, P&G global marketing director for skin care, would take over as head of consumer brands from Jan. 1, replacing Ralph Gusko, who continues his responsibility for Asia Pacific for now but will leave by the end of 2019.

Ramon Mirt, who headed Reckitt Benckiser's business in central and eastern Europe, will take charge of the Near East and Americas regions for Beiersdorf in March, the firm said.

"We welcome Asim Naseer and Ramon A. Mirt and their rich expertise. They will help Beiersdorf further deepen its commitment to international diversity and being closest to markets and consumers," said chairman Reinhard Poellath.

Beiersdorf announced in October that deputy CEO De Loecker, a 51-year-old from Belgium, would take over from Stefan Heidenreich on Jan. 1, with a mandate to make the company more digitally savvy and expand internationally.

Beiersdorf said the management of its consumer business would be overseen by a newly established executive committee, to include global head of research and development May Shana'a, as well as supply chain head Harald Emberger.

Naseer, 49, started out as managing director of a textile company in Pakistan, before joining P&G in 1999. Mirt, 52, started his career at Kraft Foods, where he worked his way up to lead the Latin American region, before joining Reckitt in 2006.

(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Michelle Martin and Mark Potter)