Dean Foods has appointed director Jim Turner as non-executive chairman, replacing Tom Davis, whose exit from the US milk supplier was announced last week.

Turner, who joined the Dean Foods' board in 1997, is the principal of JLT Beverages and the owner and CEO of JLT Automotive. He served as president and CEO of Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group from its formation in 1999 until 2005 when he sold his interest in the soft drinks supplier. Prior to that, Turner was the owner and CEO/chairman of the Board of the Turner Beverage Group.

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"Jim's a proven leader with extensive beverage industry experience; he has long been a valuable voice on our Board and is an ideal Chairman to lead us forward," said Dean Foods CEO Gregg Tanner. "I am more optimistic than ever about the future of Dean Foods, and I look forward to working closely with Jim to continue to drive shareholder value."

Last week, Dean Foods announced Davis was stepping down effective immediately. The company gave no reason for his departure in a regulatory filing announcement. He had held the position since 2013.

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