Cacique Foods, a US-based maker of Hispanic products, has appointed former Mondelez International and Danone executive Pedro Silveira as its new CEO.
Silveira succeeds Gil de Cardenas, who has led the company since 2009. He will now move to the non-executive chairman of the board role.
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Founded in 1973 in Monrovia, California, Cacique Foods is a family-owned business producing queso Mexican-style cheeses, dips, sour cream, yogurt drinks, salsa, and chorizo under its namesake brand.
Silveira joins the company from Mondelez, where he was most recently president of the confectionery and snacks maker’s North America Ventures business unit.
In a statement, Cacique Foods said during his tenure at Mondelez, Silveira led the growth of snacking brands such as Tate’s Bake Shop, Perfect Snacks and Hu Chocolates.
He previously held senior leadership roles at Danone, including president of the French dairy giant’s US yogurt business and president of its Canada division, according to his LinkedIn page.
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By GlobalDataSilveira’s experience also includes working at Unilever and being a member of the board of directors of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada from 2015 to 2019.
Silveira said in the statement: “Cacique Foods has become an outright leader in a growing billion-dollar category and yet there is still so much exciting opportunity ahead. I am honoured to take on the role of CEO at this pivotal moment.”
In 2023, Cacique Foods shifted its headquarters from Monrovia to Irving, Texas.
That year, the company also ended operations at its California dairy plant in the City of Industry and moved manufacturing operations to its Amarillo site in Texas.
The 200,000-square-meter Amarillo factory, established in 2021 with an $88m investment, produces Mexican cheeses, creams, and yogurts.
Cacique Foods also operates a meat plant in Cedar City, Utah, and another in Arizona, acquired in 2019 through the purchase of El Sol Foods, a fellow Mexican-style salsa producer.
Outgoing CEO de Cardenas said: “Having successfully moved our operations from California to Texas and developed a dynamic growth plan designed to expand distribution, product assortment and opportunities for our team members, I am confident this is the right time to pass the baton to Pedro to lead our path forward.”
