Food Processing - November 2007 - (Page 10)

NEWS BITES • M A N A G E M E N T• New CEOs at Hershey, McCormick, others Fall must be CEO replacement season at food companies. Following our October news report on new CEOs at General Mills and Nestle, new leaders have been put in place at Hershey and McCormick as well as Juanita’s Foods and Glory Foods. The Hershey, Pa.-based chocolate maker announced in October that 55-year-old Richard Lenny, its chairman/CEO since 2001, was “retiring.” The Wall Street Journal reported at least part of the reason may be growing differences between Lenny and the mostly family trust that controls three-quarters of the company’s voting shares. Lenny will be replaced as CEO on Dec. 1 by COO David West, who also has been with the company since 2001. There was no mention of filling the chairman’s job, which Lenny will retain until the end of the year. A few weeks later, Gregg Tanner, senior vice president of Hershey’s global operations, announced his departure, less than 18 months after joining the company. Back in August, Christopher Baldwin, senior vice president and president of Hershey’s North American Commercial Group, left the company to rejoin his former employer as president of Kraft Foods Inc.’s U.S. snacks and cereals operations. In a more orderly succession, McCormick & Co Inc. said COO Alan Wilson will take over as CEO on Jan. 1, replacing retiring Robert Lawless, who will remain chairman of the board. Wilson has been with McCormick, Hunt Valley, Md., since 1993. Even more orderly: Juanita’s Foods, Wilmington, Calif., made Mark and Aaron De La Torre co-CEOs of the family-owned company. They are sons of Chairman George De La Torre Jr. Glory Foods, which has been without a CEO since Barry Huff stepped down in April, appointed Jacqueline Neal as its first female president. She most recently was in real estate, but earlier worked for Mars, Quaker Oats, Heinz, Nabisco and Kraft. BRIEFS Rialto, CA Oscar Mayerwillbecomeastand-alonebusinessunitearlynext year under a reorganization plan from parent company Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, Ill., reports the Madison Capital Times. OscarMayer,basedinMadison,Wis.,hasbeenpartofasector that included pizza, convenience foods and Kraft Canada, but it will become one of eight stand-alone business units. Others areBeverages,Canada,Cheese,Foodservice,Grocery,Pizza,and Snacks&Cereal.Companyofficialsaythemovesshouldprovide more focus on individual businesses, simplify the overall organization,hastendecision-makingandbringthecompanycloser tocustomers.Butanalystssayseparatingthebusinessunitsalso makesiteasiertosellthem. Making good on a promise to sell businesses that don't fit its growthplans,Kraft Foods Inc.solditsFruit2OwaterandVeryfinejuicebrandstoCincinnati-basedSunny Delight Beverages Co. The two brands had combined sales of about $135 million lastyear,accordingtoKraft. WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://orkincommercial.com http://orkincommercial.com http://orkincommercial.com http://WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - November 2007

Food Processing - November 2007 Contents Editor's Page NewsBites Regulatory Rollout Food Biz Kids Our Favorite Products of 2007 Ingredients Product Development Plant Operations Packaging New Product Profiles Toops Scoops

Food Processing - November 2007

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