EUROPE – The American multinational confectionery, food, and beverage company, Mondelēz International has appointed Vince Gruber head of the European business.

He has taken over the role of Executive Vice President & President Europe for Mondelēz International, responsible for shaping and driving the company strategy “Snacking Made Right” in the territory.

Gruber was appointed Executive Vice President & President Europe for Mondelēz International in Zurich in January 2019.

He started his career in 1989 at Kraft Foods Austria, which is now Mondelez International, holding various positions in marketing.

He left the company in 2000 and worked elsewhere for seven years before returning to Kraft Foods in 2007 as Director Chocolate for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, a role he held until 2010 when he was appointed President Chocolate for Europe.

Between 2000 to 2007, he worked as the managing director for new business at Red Bull between 2000 and 2007, where he was responsible for introducing new concepts throughout Europe and the US.

He also took over the position of Area President Western Europe in 2016.

The new strategy was revealed last year with a focus on key priorities including a more holistic view of consumer snacking behaviours to sharpen brand positioning in clear demand spaces.

According to Mondelez, Europe is the most important contributor to its growth, accounting for more than one-third of the revenue of the group, with $ 10 billion net revenue in 2018.

Power Brands like Milka, Cadbury, Toblerone, Oreo, LU, Halls are holding leading market positions across Europe.

 “With ‘Snacking Made Right’, we have a strong strategic plan that will guide our actions in the years ahead and lead us towards sustained and profitable growth,” said Vince Gruber.

“I feel honored to lead such an excellent European team and look forward to creating the future of snacking.”

With the Snacking Made Right initiative, the company looks to invest in both global and local heritage brands to achieve higher growth.

Chief Executive Officer, Dirk Van de Put said the company is positioned to lead the future of snacking through a strong portfolio of global and local brands and a solid footprint in fast-growing markets.

Mondelez recently said it was planning to move its global headquarters from the Chicago suburb of Deerfield to a new site in the city’s West Loop.