Mondelēz International is appointing current CFO Luca Zaramella to a newly created chief operating officer position, potentially setting up the long-time company executive to one day take over the top role at the Oreo maker.
Zaramella will oversee the company’s commercial operations in its four geographical regions as well as the corporate sales, marketing and supply chain functions. He will take on the new role starting Feb. 1 and continue serving as CFO until the company finds a replacement.
Mondelēz CEO Dirk Van de Put said the creation of the role is “vital" as the company looks to "stay agile and continue to raise the bar on our operational excellence in an environment that has never been more dynamic.”
The company’s decision to add a COO role is aimed at boosting execution, focusing the company’s strategy and quickening decision-making, a Mondelēz spokesperson told Food Dive. It will also allow Van de Put to devote more time to the company’s strategic priorities, driving growth and creating value, along with other responsibilities.
Van de Put described Zaramella as “a strong operational and financial leader with deep knowledge of our business and a consistent record of driving strong results.”
Zaramella joined Mondelēz in 2011, according to his LinkedIn page, and has steadily worked his way up at the snack maker behind iconic brands including Ritz and Chips Ahoy! He became CFO in 2018.
While there is no evidence that Van de Put plans to step aside anytime soon, he has been running the snacking giant for more than eight years — exceeding the average CEO tenure of 6.8 years.
During that time, Van de Put has focused on innovating Mondelēz’s core brands and expanding the company’s snacking portfolio through acquisitions, including the purchases of Perfect Snacks, Tate’s and Clif Bar.
Zaramella’s decade-plus tenure at Mondelēz, familiarity with the company’s strategy and additional responsibilities he will assume in his new COO role will ideally position him to take over for Van de Put in the future.
