GRAPEVINE: News About People

Food & Drink Weekly, Jan 31, 2000

Sara Lee Corp., Chicago, elected C. Steven McMillan, as president and chief executive officer, effective July 1. McMillan, currently president and chief operating officer, will succeed chairman and CEO John H. Bryan, who has served as Sara Lee's CEO for 25 years. After July 1, Bryan will continue to serve as chairman until he retires in October 2001. McMillan joined Sara Lee in 1976, serving over the next 10 years in a number of division and group president positions until he was named senior vice president of strategy development for the corporation in 1986.

Kraft Foods International named Paul Carothers as vice president of corporate affairs. Carothers, previously vice president, government affairs, will be moving from the Kraft North America office in Washington, D.C., to Kraft's European affairs office in Brussels. He replaces Aodh O'Dochartaigh, who had left the company. Separately, Kraft appointed Marla Gottschalk, vice president, marketing & strategy for the Kraft cheese division, to executive vice president and general manager, Post cereals, replacing Mike Polk who previously was named president, Asia/Pacific for Kraft Foods International. In addition, Bridgette Heller, was appointed to the new position of executive vice president and general manager-coffee.

Starbucks Coffee Co. named three to new positions: Ted Della Vecchia, senior vice president and chief information officer; Debbi Gillotti, senior vice president and general manager, Starbucks X; and Engle Saez, senior vice president, category management.

Robert Culak was promoted to vice president, financial reporting and compliance (a newly created position) for SYSCO Corp., Houston. Culak joined SYSCO's accounting department in 1986.

Chalone Wine Group appointed Paul Novak to the new position of vice president of marketing. Previously, Novak served as a director of marketing for the Artisans & Estates portfolio of small wineries owned, along with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, by Jess Jackson and his family.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), Montvale, N.J., elects Mitchell Goldstein as senior vice president, finance and treasurer, a new position. Separately, A&P named R. Terrence Galvin as vice president, investor relations.

Scott's Restaurants, Inc., Toronto, and Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., Louisville, Ky., announced Jon Prinsell will be chief executive of the new fastfood company, which is still unnamed. Joe Langteau, president of Scott's KFC division for the last four years, will be president and chief operating officer. The new company, will have 639 stores in 400 communities, 13,000 employees and more than $570 million in yearly revenues when the deal closes next month.

Dean & Deluca, Inc. (D&D), New York, appointed John Richards as its president as part of an aggressive plan to expand its brand and operations both nationally and internationally. Richards formerly was in charge of Starbucks' North American operations. As president, Richards replaces Dane Neller, who had been serving as both president and CEO; Neller will remain CEO. Also announced, Hummer, Winblad Venture Partners, a venture fund focusing exclusively on Internet investments, made a $20 million equity investment in D&D. As a result, Ann Winblad, a partner of the venture firm, was appointed to D&D's board.

Seagram tapped Jennifer Bendall to its public policy and government relations office in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Bendall, was senior vice president for government affairs at the Recording Industry Association of America.

Jill Mitchell joined the National Restaurant Association as director, state relations. Mitcheli most recently worked at CocaCola Enteqrises, Inc.