US food giant General Mills has announced three key leadership positions involving top executives.
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Marc Belton was named to the newly created position of senior VP, Yoplait, Canada and New Business Development. In this new role, Belton will have broader operating responsibilities, providing corporate oversight to four business units, including the Yoplait-Colombo yogurt division, General Mills Canada, Small Planet Foods and 8th Continent, General Mills’ joint venture with DuPont. He also will work closely with top management on new business initiatives. He will report to General Mills vice chairman Steve Demeritt.
“Marc is particularly well suited to guide the development of this portfolio of growth businesses,” said Demeritt. “For the past three years, Marc has served as president of Big G, leading General Mills to cereal category share leadership.”
Belton has been with General Mills for 19 years, including division president positions in the Big G, Snacks Unlimited and New Ventures divisions. He was named a vice president in 1991, and elected a senior vice president in 1998.
Ian Friendly was named to lead General Mills’ largest business as President of the Big G Division, succeeding Belton. Friendly has led General Mills’ fast-growing Yoplait-Colombo division and Health Ventures since 1998.
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By GlobalDataAs President of Big G, Friendly will be responsible for General Mills’ US$2.6bn cereal business, which include such consumer favorites as Cheerios, Wheaties, and Lucky Charms. Friendly has extensive domestic and international cereal experience, including four years with Cereal Partners Worldwide – General Mills’ joint venture with Nestlé – where he had oversight for Latin America, Asia Pacific and the cereal export business.
“Ian brings an outstanding marketing and general management track record, as well as extensive domestic and international cereal experience, to this large and important business,” said Demeritt. “As president of Yoplait-Colombo and Health Ventures since 1998, Ian achieved outstanding results. Volume more than doubled, profit quadrupled and Yoplait achieved the clear #1 share.”
Friendly joined General Mills in 1983. He was named a vice president in 1992, and elected a senior vice president in 2000.
Bob Waldron is promoted to president of Yoplait-Colombo, reporting to Belton. Since 1999, Waldron had served as Vice President, Marketing, for General Mills’ Main Meal and Side Dishes business. Waldron brings 12 years of General Mills marketing and general management experience to the position, including leadership assignments in Baking Products, Meal, Yoplait and Big G. He was named a vice president of General Mills in 2000.
