Schaillee began his career in 1994 with the Sara Lee Group in Belgium, where he held different marketing positions. He relocated to the United States in 2000, where he served as executive vice president of marketing for the coffee and tea industries. He was later promoted to EVP of the beverages division.

He was designated EVP of the Breakfast, Snacking, and Beverage division in 2006. He was named SVP, chief marketing officer, and executive committee member for all Sara Lee Group categories in the United States in 2008.

Schaillee returned to Europe in 2012, where he joined the Jacob Douwe Egberts (JDE) Group. He was elected president of the Professional Coffee Division and served on its executive committee.

He most recently served on the executive committee of Groupe SEB, a French company that is a global market leader in cookware, small home appliances, and professional coffee equipment, with brands such as WMF, Schaerer, All-Clad, Krups, Tefal, and Rowenta.

“I’ve long admired Costa and value the company’s rich history and tradition,” Schaillee added. “I am thrilled to be joining Costa’s fantastic team and look forward to learning and growing the company alongside them.”

Schaillee earned a bachelor’s degree from Catholic University Leuven and an MBA from Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School in Belgium.

Schaillee takes over for former Costa CEO Jill McDonald. He will be located in London and will report to Stoichkova.

Costa Coffee, founded in 1971 in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa, is now present in 45 countries, with 2,800+ coffee shops in the UK and Ireland and 1,100+ abroad. We are happy to be the nation’s favourite coffee shop, having been named Allegra Strategies’ “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland” for 12 years in a row (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).

Making a meaningful contribution to the communities in which we live is vitally important to us, both in the UK and globally. That is why, in 2007, we formed The Costa Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to enhancing the life chances of children in coffee-growing areas by providing them with access to a safe, high-quality education. The Costa Foundation has so far financed over 100 school initiatives and impacted the lives of over 120,000 youngsters. We also offer a UK-wide Community Programme, which allows our employees to give their time to local charities and encourage community organisations to use our welcoming area in stores.

Costa Coffee purchased Coffee Nation in 2011, which is now known as Costa Express. Costa Express now operates in 20 overseas markets, with over 12,700 coffee machines in the United Kingdom and over 1,600 abroad. Serving the same Costa Coffee Mocha Italia Signature Blend coffee beans that can be bought in stores, coupled with fresh milk to make a delightful and warming cup of coffee on the move. Costa Coffee announced in 2022 that it would be introducing its unique Costa Express Hot and Iced Drinks self-service equipment.

Costa Coffee’s Proud to Serve programme allows our corporate partners to serve a variety of Costa Coffee beverages to customers and workers without the requirement for a full-service Costa Coffee location.

Costa Coffee proudly supports over 15,000 Proud to Serve outlets in the UK and globally, with a presence in 22 overseas markets.

Gennaro Pelliccia, our Master of Coffee, has masterfully crafted all Costa Coffee products, including our At-Home and Costa Coffee in a Can ranges, and employs Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM coffee beans.