Ferrero is a private multinational confectionery company founded in 1946 in Alba, Piedmont, Italy, by pastry chef Pietro Ferrero and his brother Giovanni Ferrero Sr., specializing in chocolate and branded sweets.[1][2][4] Amid post-World War II cocoa shortages, Pietro created Pasta Gianduja, a hazelnut-cocoa paste that evolved into Supercrema in 1949 and Nutella in 1964, leveraging abundant local hazelnuts to make chocolate affordable; Ferrero now consumes 25% of the world's hazelnut supply.[1][3][4] Under Pietro's son Michele Ferrero, who succeeded as CEO, the company expanded rapidly. Key 1960s launches included Kinder (1968), targeting children with single-serve portions, and Tic Tac (1969), which propelled global reach into the US, Australia, and South America.[1][2][3] Ferrero Rocher debuted in 1982, becoming a premium boxed chocolate leader sold in 140 countries.[5] By the 1950s-1970s, factories opened beyond Alba, like in Cortemilia (1956), supporting European growth into France, Germany, and the UK.[1][3] The third generation—grandsons Pietro Jr. and Giovanni Ferrero—took over under Michele. After Pietro Jr.'s 2011 death, Giovanni became executive chairman and majority owner in 2015.[4][7] The firm pursued aggressive mergers and acquisitions from 2015-2020, diversifying into snacks, and solidified as a modern conglomerate by 2025 with over 35 brands like Mon Chéri and Raffaello, operating in 170+ countries.[1][6][7] Today, Ferrero ranks among the world's largest sweet-packaged food companies, family-owned and innovation-driven, with Nutella as its flagship global phenomenon.[6] Its strategy emphasizes quality, hazelnut sourcing, and premium positioning amid ongoing international expansion.[1][2]