A Belgian is managing the largest biscuit factory in the world
The Belgian Dirk Van de Put will be at the head of the food giant Mondelez starting from November 2017. This multinational owns many well-known brands, including Milka, Côte d’Or, Oreo, Lu, Toblerone, Belvita and Stimorol. Van de Put will replace Irene Rosenfeld as CEO, who will retire after holding the position for five years.
Originally, Van de Put is a veterinary, but he also has an MBA from Antwerp University. Over the past six years, the Belgian has been the CEO of McCain Foods. Prior to that, he has worked for Danone, The Coca-Cola Company, Mars Incorporated and the pharmaceutical giant Novartis. This means that he has about 30 years of experience in the food and consumer goods industry.
In 2016, Mondelez generated a turnover of $25.9 billion and a net benefit of $1.7 billion. The company employs 90,000 people, which makes Van de Put the CEO of the company with the highest number of employees overseas. His basic annual salary is $1.45 million to which are added incentive bonuses as well as a $38 million bonus which he received in compensation for his departure from McCain.