Kraft names Michael Clark as President of European Operations

Kraft names Michael Clark as President of European Operations

Kraft Foods Inc. said Monday that it has tapped a former Coca-Cola Co. executive, 44-year-old Michael A. Clarke, to serve as president of the Northfield packaged-food company’s Kraft Europe operation.

The president-Europe post has been vacant since the previous holder of that title left Kraft in June, the company said.

Clarke, a one-time Reebok International executive who has been with Coca-Cola for the past twelve years, was most recently serving as president of the beverage company’s Northwest Europe and Nordics business unit.

The former Coca-Cola executive will be responsible for Kraft’s European business, which is based in Zurich, Switzerland; Clarke will report to Kraft Chairman and chief Executive Officer Irene Rosenfeld.

Sanja Khosla, president of the Northfield company’s Kraft International segment, had previously had direct oversight of the European business. Khosla will “continue to lead Kraft’s businesses in developing markets, which are a significant part of Kraft’s future growth,” the company said.

He will continue to report to Rosenfeld, and has been given additional responsibilities involving oversight of certain other Kraft international and domestic efforts.