Manu Anand promoted in top-deck reshuffle at Mondelez International

Chandramouli Venkatesan will be new MD of Mondelez India

Snack and beverage maker Mondelez International has elevated Manu Anand, India head and managing director, to a regional role in a global management reshuffle.

Anand, who joined Mondelez India a year ago from PepsiCo, will be president, regional category team, chocolate, reporting to Tim Cofer, EVP and president, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. This will be effective January 2015. Based in Singapore, he will be one of the three regional category team heads, the other two being David Comeau, president, regional category team, biscuits, and Leanne Cutts, president, regional category team, gum, candy, powdered beverages. Both Comeau and Cutts, like Anand, will report to Cofer.

According to the company, it will adopt a new operating model beginning January next year. The new operating model, according to a statement from Mondelez International, will see the snack and beverage major move to a regional, category-led model from a country-led model. This will mean that regional category teams will assume full profit and loss responsibility for their respective categories so far vested with the country head. The latter will, henceforth, drive sales and marketing and distribution for the company.    

"This model has been successful in Europe and North America, and will be implemented in Latin America, Asia Pacific and EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa) to drive growth, streamline decision-making and accelerate speed to market," the statement from Mondelez International said.

Besides, Mondelez has also elevated its EVP and president, North America, Mark Clouse as chief growth officer. This is a newly created position in the company, which will see Clouse accountable for all key areas of the firm's growth strategy. This will include corporate strategy, global categories, global marketing, global sales, and research, development and quality.  

"This integrated approach will enable the company to more efficiently allocate resources to accelerate expansion of global innovation platforms, power brands and breakthrough technologies," the statement said.

The elevation of Clouse has resulted in the exit of Mondelez's EVP and chief category and marketing officer Mary Beth West from the company.

In India, replacing Anand will be Chandramouli Venkatesan, who comes in as MD of the company effective January 2015. He is currently regional category team head, chocolates.

Venkatesan joined what was earlier Cadbury India in 2005 as strategy director and has held positions in human resources and strategy across India and Asia. He was category director for India chocolates and biscuits before taking over as a regional category team head.

Both Anand and Venkatesan will take up their new positions in January next year.