PEOPLE - appointments - Brief Article

Eurofood, Feb 17, 2000

Giovanni Casteilucci, an Italian consultant, has been named chief executive officer at Barilla. He takes over from Paolo Barilla, one of two Barilla brothers on the board of the world's leading pasta-producer (12 million tonnes in 1999). Paolo Barilla had been in the post for slightly over a year as a stopgap administrator after the sudden departure of Sharon Hintze following a tenure of few weeks over policy differences with the Barilla brothers. Castellucci has been associated with Barilla as a consultant in the company's restructuring. His main experience has been with the Boston Consulting Group.

Ross Warburton, executive chairman of Warburtons, was named non-executive director at Richmond Foods.

Kraft Foods has announced two senior management appointments. Firstly, Maria Gottschalk has been promoted from vice president, marketing & strategy at the Kraft Cheese division to executive vice president and general manager -- Post Cereals. Gottschalk has been at Kraft Foods since 1989 and has progressed through a number of increasingly senior roles, including vice president, finance and systems. In the Kraft Cheese division, she led the Cultured, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Polly-O Dairy and Churny Cheese operations. She succeeds Mike Polk, who has been named vice president of Kraft Foods International. In addition, Kraft has appointed Bridgette Heller, vice president and general manager of the Gevilia coffee arm, to the new position of executive vice president and general manager -- Coffee.

After a quarter of a century at the helm of US consumer goods giant Sara Lee, John Bryan is to step down as chief executive officer about 15 months earlier than expected. His departure is considered voluntary and has not been interpreted as a sign of any pressure from the board. Bryan will be succeeded by Steven McMillan, president and chief operating officer, but will remain chairman of the group until October next year.

Clark F. Driftmier has been appinted vice president of marketing at Horizon Organic Holdings, the largest US organic dairy group. Driftmier was most recently senior vice president of marketing for Small Planet Foods, and was formerly a product manager at Ralston Purina.

Georges Brossard, founder of the eponymous French biscuit factory now owned by Sara Lee, has died aged 90. Completely self-taught, Brossard bought his first industrial bakery in 1931 at Saint-Jean-d'Angely. By the time it was sold to Pilsbury 37 years later, Brossard had become one of the largest players in the sector.

Archie Norman, the former Asda chairman recently named an opposition Conservative party spokesman in the UK parliament, has stepped down as an adviser to Asda, thereby severing all ties with the group.

Pizza Hut UK, a JV between Whitbread and Tricon Restaurants, will be waving goodbye to president and CEO Jon Prinsell, who has been asked by Tricon to head up a new chain of fastfood outlets in Canada. The new operation will see Canada's largest KFC franchise, with 350 outlets, integrated with Tricon's 300 Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, and Prinsell will be promoted to vice chairman and chief executive officer of the new entity. Prinsell joined Pizza Hut management in 1972, and the positions he has since held include managing director of Pizza Hut Canada (which will have set him up well for this new post) and of Pizza Hut Australia, head of Pizza Hut Asia and president of PepsiCo Restaurants International Europe.

Jules Kyburz, president of Swiss retal cooperative Migros, is stepping down to take retirement. Although he is 68, the announcement came as a surprise to some since he could theoretically have remained in the post until his 70th birthday. Kyburz will be succeeded by Claude Hauser, head of Migros in Geneva. Hauser is expected to urge that the arguably outdated structure of the cooperative be modernised. The change of management has also been reflected further down the line: Gisele Girgis-Musy has been appointed permanent head of marketing and Jorg Zulauf has taken on responsibility for financial officer and new member of the management team.

Dole Food has appointed Peter Nolan to the new post of president, North American operations. Nolan was last seen as president of Dole Packaged Foods. Meanwhile, Dole has appointed Lawrence A. Kern president of its Fresh Vegetable subsidiary.

Danish sugar producer Danisco has appointed Juha Kurkinen as its group general counsel.

US food retailer Grand Union has severed ties with chairman and CEO J. Wayne Harris and named Gary M. Philbin as CEO and Stephen M. Peck as chairman. Vice chairman, chief administrative officer and director Jack W. Partridge has resigned from the company. Jeffrey P. Freimark will take on some of Partridge's responsibilities while also remaining chief financial officer.

Munich meat processor Stidfleisch has appointed Josef Leinsle strategic purchasing manager. Leinske joins the meat group from cheese producer Bergader Privatkaserei.

George Weston Foods reports that Paul Benedict Loneragan has resigned as a director.