Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, the world's largest food company, says that its U.S. operations will soon be led by the current head of its business in the U.K. and Ireland. Paul Grimwood will become CEO and chairman of Nestle USA, effective in October, following the retirement of current CEO and chairman Brad Alford. Reports as of press time didn’t indicate who would take over Grimwood’s current role.

Grimwood previously led the Nestle's confectionary business in the U.K. Alford has been in the top spot at Nestle USA for seven years and with Nestle for 32 years.

Meanwhile, as it prepares its strategies for its future global snacks company, Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., says Tracey Belcourt will join the company as executive vice president, strategy, in September. Belcourt, 45, will lead the strategy function and mergers and acquisition activities for the global snacks company, Mondelez International Inc., following the expected spinoff of Kraft's North American grocery business on Oct. 1. Belcourt will report to chairman/CEO Irene Rosenfeld, with responsibility for evolving and implementing the company's growth strategy.

Previously, Belcourt was a partner at Bain & Co. in Toronto, leading teams that specialized in the design and implementation of growth strategies to improve business performance across a variety of consumer industries. She was an economic consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development in Africa in 1999 and served for five years as an assistant professor of economics at Concordia University in Montreal.

“She joins us at an exciting time, as we chart the course for our new global snacks company," says Rosenfeld.

Sources: www.prnewswire.com, www.rdmag.com