As one ex-Kraft guy leaves Pinnacle Foods Inc., an ex-Kraft guy succeeds him as CEO, hired by the chairman, another ex-Kraft guy.
Mark Clouse will leave Mondelez International to become Pinnacle's CEO effective May 23. He replaces Bob Gamgort, who will leave the company at the end of April to become CEO of Keurig Green Mountain.
Clouse, 47, is currently chief commercial officer at Mondelez, where he held a number of leadership positions involving iconic brands such as Oreo, Nabisco, Cadbury and Trident – some of them dating back to his 20-year tenure at Kraft Foods Inc. When Kraft and Mondelez split in 2012, he went with the latter, initially taking the title chief growth officer.
Before joining Kraft, Clouse served in the Army as a pilot and completed his service as a captain. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in economics.
He was hired by Pinnacle Chairman Roger Deromedi, who was Kraft's CEO at the turn of the century.
Gamgort also was a Kraft executive before going to Mars.
Minor detail, but Craig Steeneck, CFO of Pinnacle, will assume the additional role of interim-CEO from Gamgort’s departure until Clouse's arrival.
