The justice league

If there’s one leadership lesson that Juan Garibaldi has learnt over the years, it’s that doing the right thing is not a trade-off.

“Not only is it not a trade-off, it’s a long-term business decision,” Garibaldi tells The CEO Magazine.

“Perhaps in the short-term you’ll have to make some difficult calls or accept that there may be certain impact on results, but in the long run, doing the right thing is what builds trust – not only with your team, but also with consumers, with partners and all the stakeholders you have around you.”

It is, for Garibaldi, a non-negotiable – and a way of doing business that is enshrined in the purpose at Danone, the French fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) multinational Garibaldi joined in 2018, becoming Senior Vice President and CEO of Danone South Cone (the company’s term for the Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan markets) in 2021.

“Doing the right thing is about not prioritizing what is ethically right without compromise,” he says. “At the end of the day, we want to maximize our results, but not at any cost.”

Using the example of recycled PET plastic, he explains how it is more expensive than virgin PET in most of the geographies Danone operates in.

“But would you do something only for the short-term benefit or would you prefer to take the plastic out of the market and recycle to do the right thing?” he asks.

It’s all part of building a sustainable long-term business, something that Danone – which achieved B Corp certification in November 2025 – takes very seriously.

Recipe for success

Purpose, science and nutrition are at the center of Danone Southern Cone’s strategy, and that’s what attracted Garibaldi to join the company eight years ago, having previously held senior executive roles in the FMCG industry at the likes of Pepsico, Clorox and Mondelez.

“That purpose is to bring health through food to as many people as possible, while caring for the planet,” he says.

“We are fully committed to that corporate purpose and believe that business success must go hand in hand with social progress,” he says.

What is known as Danone’s ‘Dual Project’ has been the company’s guiding philosophy since 1972, when then-CEO Antoine Riboud delivered his famous speech at the National Conference of French Employers in Marseille, France.

Building on decades of research and scientific expertise in health and nutrition, he says that Danone is also committed to helping consumers and patients (through its Specialized Nutrition vertical) to maintain health through nutritious, healthier and more sustainable foods.

“We are backed by research to ensure that we have scientific evidence of what we do, what we produce and how we build health through food,” he says.

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Since its foundation by Isaac Carasso in the Spanish city of Barcelona in 1919, when it began producing yogurt as a health food, Danone has stayed one step ahead in the fast-moving consumer goods space by staying close to the consumer.

“The best way of being close to the consumer is listening to them,” Garibaldi explains.

Listening, then translating those findings into actionable, scientific-based product development has been Danone’s recipe for success, he says.

Sustainable growth

This year, that recipe has expanded to include digital transformation and AI.

“We see a clear opportunity to continue strengthening a sustainable growth model by expanding the reach of our products, leveraging innovation and continuous development and deepening our commitment to health and environmental stewardship,” he says.

Yet, while tools like AI can improve efficiency, Garibaldi is conscious to ensure the technology complements Danone’s people and their expertise, rather than replaces them.

“We need to learn what is the right amount in the recipe,” he says.

No doubt such tools will play a key role in his overarching goal.

“Our purpose is to continue growing not only in the categories that we play in, but in other categories and other geographies too.”

Garibaldi is a self-confessed obsessive when it comes to ensuring that everyone is living a healthier life through the food they eat and is delighted that the categories that Danone South Cone plays in – dairy, plant-based, waters and specialized nutrition – are among the fastest growing in the FMCG segment.

The good guys

Garibaldi knows that it’s impossible to achieve such lofty goals without partners who share the same north star. For Danone South Cone, that’s the likes of dairy business Grupo Arcor, which is partnered with Danone in Bagley Latinoamérica, a joint venture to produce cookies, crackers and cereals across Latin America. He also knows that his agenda would be impossible to lead without the support of a committed team.

“They are truly embracing this purpose,” he says. “They know that to win while doing the right thing is the best way to differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

For Garibaldi, purpose is what keeps him motivated and springing out of bed every morning at 6am.

“I’m super happy waking up in the morning knowing that I’m helping work towards such an attractive, differentiated, noble purpose,” he says.

In Danone, Garibaldi has found a company that walks the talk.

“Not too many companies can take this position with such strong clarity, because we have clear evidence that our foods are nutritious and help people to be healthier,” he says.

“It’s like a league of justice, a league of the good guys who are working to build health through food for as many people as possible.”