Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI, has announced several appointments to the leadership team for its North America Cereal Co. business:
- Norma Barnes-Euresti, chief legal officer
- Mike Christensen, chief human resources officer
- Stacy Flathau, chief corporate affairs officer
- Sarah Ludmer, chief wellbeing and ESG officer
- Bill Rex, chief information officer
The appointees join six other appointees announced on August 24:
- Gary Pilnick, CEO
- Dave McKinstray, CFO
- Sherry Brice-Williamson, chief supply chain officer
- Doug VanDeVelde, chief growth officer
- Bruce Brown, chief customer officer
- Shannon Bible, chief transformation officer
The leaders will report to Pilnick; Ludmer will have a dual reporting role to Pilnick and VanDeVelde.
As announced in June 2022, Kellogg Co. plans to separate three of its businesses—Global Snacking Co., North America Cereal Co., and Plant Co.—to enable each business to reach its full standalone potential.
"I am delighted to announce the completion of the North America Cereal Co. leadership team with these world-class appointments and would like to welcome Norma, Mike, Stacy, Sarah, and Bill to their future roles," says Pilnick. "The knowledge and experience of this diverse team will provide a strong foundation for North America Cereal Co. to continue building momentum and capitalize on its compelling long-term opportunities for investment and profit growth. We are all excited to unlock the full potential of the business and its powerful brands, and we are proud to carry forward the rich legacy of W.K. Kellogg."
"The completion of the future leadership team of North America Cereal Co. marks a significant milestone on our journey to unleash the potential of this business," says Steve Cahillane, Kellogg Co. chairman and CEO. "With more than 165 years of combined experience at Kellogg Co. and significant subject matter expertise, I am confident that this is the right team to lead North America Cereal Co. into the future."
The additional appointments are subject to (and will be effective upon) completion of the planned separation of North America Cereal Co., expected by the end of 2023, following the satisfaction of customary conditions. Board appointments will be made as the separation process progresses. As announced on August 24, the remainder of the Kellogg Co. executive committee will remain with Global Snacking Co.
The company will continue to provide updates on the separation of Kellogg into three independent companies. A dedicated website providing ongoing information about the transaction is available at unleashingourpotential.com.
Barnes-Euresti is a 23-year veteran of Kellogg Co. and brings her knowledge of Kellogg and the ready-to-eat-cereal category to the role of chief legal officer of North America Cereal Co. In her current role as vice president and chief counsel, employment, ethics, and compliance at Kellogg Co, Barnes-Euresti manages all Kellogg business units in the areas of labor and employment. She joined the Keebler Co. in November 1999 and became an employee of Kellogg as part of the company's 2001 acquisition of the Keebler business. She is an American Bar Association Fellow and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Judicial College and the LGBT Bar Association.
In his current position as senior director, human resources for North America sales, Christensen plays a role in overseeing equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy, and in driving talent, organizational effectiveness, and culture at Kellogg, making him a suitable choice to take on the role of chief human resources officer of North America Cereal Co. Throughout his more than 11-year career at Kellogg, he has held roles supporting the ready-to-eat cereal business, developing expertise in organization and change management as well as talent strategy. Prior to joining Kellogg in 2011, Christensen held several human resources roles at The Toro Co.
Building on her 13-year Kellogg career, Flathau brings stakeholder engagement experience to the role of chief corporate affairs officer of North America Cereal Co. where she will be responsible for communications, government relations, and philanthropy. In her current role as senior director, corporate communications at Kellogg Co., she is responsible for external communications, including media relations, crisis communications, supply chain, and labor communications. Prior to joining Kellogg, she was a journalist for 15 years, reporting on business and partnering with an editorial board of staff and community leaders as a metro editor and columnist at the Battle Creek Enquirer.
As the current senior director of wellbeing and regulatory at Kellogg Co., Ludmer brings deep experience to the role of chief wellbeing and ESG officer of North America Cereal Co. She will shape the company's well-being and regulatory agenda, and oversee consumer affairs. The entire North America Cereal Co. leadership team will work together to create and deliver the company's ESG strategy, and she will partner with VanDeVelde to commercialize ESG. Since joining Kellogg in 2014, Ludmer has worked on nutrition marketing and regulatory initiatives that have helped shape the company's growth portfolio. Prior to joining Kellogg, she managed the Nutrition Working Group at Del Monte Foods and worked as a clinical dietitian.
As the current CIO of Kellogg North America, Rex is positioned to step into the role of CIO of North America Cereal Co. He brings IT expertise and leadership experience to the role, having led several successful IT transformation programs at Kellogg. Prior to joining Kellogg in 2020, he held IT positions at Stryker, Mylan, and Rockwell Collins.
Kellogg Co. is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.
