US snacks business Kind has carried out a leadership level shake-up that sees president and chief operating officer Mike Barkley become CEO.

Founder Daniel Lubetzky, who was CEO until now, will become the company’s executive chairman.

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In other moves, Dan Poland becomes COO, Doug Behrens becomes chief customer officer and Rebecca Bagin becomes chief human resources officer.

New CEO Barkley, who joined the company a year ago, said: “These appointments come at an incredibly exciting time for Kind as we seek to bolster our leadership in our current categories, while also entering new categories and rapidly expanding our global footprint. We believe these additions to our leadership team will help us achieve our vision of becoming a foremost global health and wellness leader.” 

The new leadership team has extensive food industry experience. Barkley previously worked for Pinnacle Foods, Campbell Soup Co. and PepsiCo while Poland also worked at Pinnacle, as well as at WhiteWave Foods. Behrens, another former WhiteWave staffer, has also worked for Amplify Snack Brands, Bagin was also previously with Campbell Soup Co.

Lubetzky said: “We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last 15 years as we invest to continue to advance our mission. We are extremely excited about the growth potential these leadership appointments will help unlock for Kind.”

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Kind, in which confectionery giant Mars holds a minority stake, was established in 2004 and today has a portfolio of more than 80 snacks.

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