B&G Foods has named a former coffee company chief and veteran CPG executive as its new CEO.
Kenneth “Casey” Keller will head B&G starting June 14. He replaces David Wenner, who has been serving as interim CEO since November.
Keller’s most recent position was president and CEO of JDE Peet’s NV, a $7 billion coffee and tea company. He had been president of Peet’s Coffee and oversaw its merger with Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) last year.
Prior to that, Keller served as global president of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. During the integration of Wrigley into Mars, Keller helped plan strategy for the combined Mars-Wrigley confectionery business. He also served as president of Alberto Culver USA from 2008 until the company’s acquisition by Unilever in 2011.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining B&G Foods and its very talented and dedicated workforce,” Keller said in a statement. “We will continue to focus on organic and acquisition growth, innovation, operational improvements, cost reduction efforts and the creation of stockholder value.”
B&G Foods ranked 71st on Food Processing’s most recent list of the Top 100 food companies. Its 2019 sales were $1.66 billion, down 2.4% from 2018. Its major brands include Cream of Wheat, Green Giant and Spice Islands.
