Hostess Brands LLC, Kansas City, Mo., names food industry veteran William Toler president and CEO. Toler is a colleague of Hostess chairman Dean Metropoulos and previously served as CEO of AdvancePierre Foods and president of Pinnacle Foods. Longtime Hostess executive Rich Seban, who most recently served as the company’s president and COO, is now vice chairman.

“Hostess Brands has become a dynamic and highly successful business over the past year, and our unique and widely recognized brands, including Twinkies, HoHos, CupCakes and Ding Dongs, have reconnected with consumers,” says Metropoulos. “As we look forward to the company's exciting future, it is important to continue to strengthen the organization and strive to reach new levels of growth through further market expansion, new products and acquisitions.

“Rich has been critical to the successful transition of Hostess and will remain actively involved in the management of the business. I look forward to strengthening our team and working with Bill, who will bring his talents and energy to the next phase of the company’s growth. Both individuals will be key to further penetrating our markets and expanding our product offerings to appeal to a broader base of consumers. We have been very pleased with the support of our consumers and retail partners and are excited about what’s ahead."

Source: Business Wire