Le Mars, Iowa, United States, November 2025 – Wells Enterprises, the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States and an independent operating company of the Ferrero Group, has announced the appointment of Deborah Zago as its new Chief People & Organization Officer. In her new role, Deborah will lead the company’s global people strategy, organizational transformation, and talent development agenda as Wells continues its journey of growth and innovation within the Ferrero family of companies.
Before joining Wells Enterprises, Deborah Zago served at Ferrero for over 17 years, where she played a pivotal role in shaping HR strategy and cultural evolution across multiple geographies. Most recently, as Head of HR for the Italy Business Unit, she led transformation and engagement initiatives, strengthened internal communications, and implemented strategic programs in talent management, total rewards, and organizational development. Her leadership was instrumental in driving employee engagement and aligning HR priorities with business growth objectives.
Earlier at Ferrero, Deborah served as HR Vice President for Commercial North America, based in the New York City Metropolitan Area, where she oversaw HR operations for a complex and rapidly expanding market. She successfully harmonized people practices across business lines and supported large-scale commercial growth through innovative talent and performance frameworks.
Prior to that, she held regional HR leadership roles as Head of HR Benelux in Brussels and Head of HR for Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, where she built cohesive people strategies across diverse markets and spearheaded initiatives in organizational change, leadership development, and cross-cultural collaboration. Her earlier experience as HR Business Partner Europe, based in Turin, further deepened her understanding of multinational HR integration and European labor relations.
Deborah began her career at the De’Longhi Group, where she held a series of progressive HR roles over nearly a decade — including HR Professional, HR Manager Italy BU, and HR Manager Italy & Continental Europe — honing her expertise in employee relations, talent acquisition, and organizational effectiveness. These formative years laid the foundation for her people-first leadership philosophy that continues to define her approach today.
About Wells Enterprises
Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, Wells Enterprises is the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States. The company produces over 900 ice cream and frozen novelty treats, including beloved brands such as Blue Bunny®, Bomb Pop®, and a variety of specialty frozen desserts. Recognized by the Iowa Legislature as the Ice Cream Capital of the World®, Wells operates multiple state-of-the-art facilities across the country, employing more than 4,000 team members dedicated to crafting high-quality frozen desserts for millions of consumers.
As part of the Ferrero Group, Wells continues to uphold its rich legacy of family values, innovation, and excellence while embracing new opportunities to delight ice cream lovers nationwide.
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