Herbalife has announced a planned chief executive transition, with Stephan Gratziani stepping down as CEO effective October 31, 2026 and Chief Financial Officer John DeSimone becoming Interim CEO beginning November 1.
The company’s Board of Directors has formed a committee to oversee the search for Gratziani’s permanent successor.
Following the transition, Gratziani will continue supporting Herbalife as a consultant focused on strategy and business development while returning his primary attention to his independent distributorship organization of nearly 700,000 distributors and preferred members.
Gratziani joined Herbalife as Chief Strategy Officer in August 2023 under what was initially intended to be a roughly 18-month arrangement.
At the time, Herbalife was navigating a difficult post-pandemic period that contributed to 12 consecutive quarters of decline.
The company said that since then it has returned to growth and established a stronger foundation for its next phase.
Gratziani said the timing now allows him to refocus on execution and operations across his global distributor organization while remaining involved with Herbalife in an advisory capacity.
DeSimone has been with Herbalife for nearly 20 years and has held several leadership positions beyond his current CFO role, including President, Chief Strategy Officer and Special Advisor to the CEO.
Herbalife’s board expects DeSimone’s institutional knowledge and leadership experience to provide continuity during the succession process.
The transition comes as Herbalife continues executing initiatives around distributor engagement, technology, personalized products and growth while navigating changing consumer demand and the broader direct-selling environment.
KEY QUOTES:
“Over the past several years, we have established a clear strategy and strengthened the Company’s focus on our distributors and the markets they serve. With the business now having returned to growth and a strong foundation in place, this is the right time for the company to enter its next phase.”
Stephan Gratziani, Chief Executive Officer Of Herbalife
“Stephan provided us with a vision for our Herbalife community and a path toward becoming the leader in health and wellness and in the personal business opportunity we provide.”
Michael O. Johnson, Executive Chairman Of Herbalife
