Panera parent JAB brings new leadership to consumer portfolio
The Luxembourg-based investment firm has named two co-heads of business development and portfolio management in New York and London.
June 11, 2026
The Europe-based parent to Panera Brands, Pret A Manger and more has new leadership.
Luxembourg-based JAB on Thursday announced a refresh of its boards and leadership team across its consumer portfolio companies.
David Serre and Emiliano Román have joined JAB as managing directors and co-heads of business development and portfolio management for consumer holdings.
Serre will serve as managing director, JAB Consumer, in London. He served previously at LVMH, where he spent six years with the Moët Hennessy executive committee. Before that, he held roles with Nestle in Switzerland, and served as head of strategy at Carlsberg in Copenhagen.
Román, meanwhile, is managing director, JAB Consumer, in New York.
He was previously with Rockefeller Capital Management, where he served as managing director and head of consumer and retail. Before that, he was managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he worked for nearly a decade, advising consumer and retail clients globally. Román is currently an independent director and audit committee chair on the Bagel Brands and Caribou Coffee, which are part of Panera Brands.
“We are delighted to welcome David and Emiliano to JAB,” said José Cil, JAB’s senior partner and global head of consumer, in a statement. “Their deep knowledge across the global consumer sector, combined with the collaborative mindset they bring, will strengthen our investment team and help our portfolio companies pursue their next phase of growth.”
JAB is also an anchor shareholder of Krispy Kreme, and a significant shareholder of Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. The Panera Brands division includes Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. In addition to Pret A Manger, JAB also owns Espresso House, which is the largest branded coffee shop chain in Scandanavia.
Other consumer products under JAB fall in animal care services, pet insurance and beauty product categories.
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