Mondelēz International has appointed Vince Gruber as its new executive vice-president and president for Europe, replacing the long-standing Hubert Weber, who has announced his retirement.
Gruber began his career at Kraft Foods Austria (now Mondelēz International) in 1989, and has held several senior positions at the company, most recently serving as the company’s area president for Western Europe since 2016.
Other notable roles that Gruber has held at the company include a spell as the director of chocolate for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, a role he held until 2010 when he was appointed as the president of the company’s European chocolate unit.
Gruber also spent seven years as the managing director for new business at Red Bull between 2000 and 2007, where he was responsible for introducing new concepts throughout Europe and the US.
Europe is Mondelēz’s largest market, accounting for approximately one-third of the company’s total revenue in 2018, with ‘power brands’ such as Cadbury’s, Milka and Oreo holding strong positions in the European market.
Gruber will be responsible for driving the company’s ‘Snacking made Right’ business strategy, which aims to leverage Mondelēz’s position in the snacking segment to encourage further growth.
Gruber said: “With ‘Snacking Made Right’, we have a strong strategic plan that will guide our actions in the years ahead and lead us towards sustained and profitable growth.
“I feel honoured to lead such an excellent European team and look forward to creating the future of snacking.”
Earlier this year, Mondelēz announced that it would relocate its global headquarters from the Chicago suburb of Deerfield to a new site in the city’s West Loop.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024