Kraft Foods plans to reorganize its European operations
The company is creating a new European Union (EU) Region, which will combine its Western Europe (WE) and Central Europe (CE) Regions into a single management structure.
01/02/06 Kraft Foods Inc., a global leader in branded food and beverages, announced that, in support of its Sustainable Growth Plan, it is reorganising its European operations in order to increase consumer focus and to improve speed to market.
Building upon its global organization structure that was put in place in 2004, Kraft has been pursuing simplification initiatives in several areas, including driving the complexity out of its business processes.
The company is creating a new European Union (EU) Region, which will combine its Western Europe (WE) and Central Europe (CE) Regions into a single management structure. Kraft will focus on three core categories - chocolate, coffee and cheese & dairy. These categories will be managed centrally, across the EU.
In late 2006 Kraft plans to establish a single EU Region office. A specific location and composition for the office will be announced as soon as it is decided. In the meantime, the new organisation will operate with the region staff continuing to work from their current locations.
As the company increases its category focus and streamlines its operations, it is expected that a number of positions will be eliminated across the EU as Kraft continues its efforts to reduce costs. Specific plans regarding the impact on the number of positions within each country will be finalized and communicated following consultation with the Works Councils.
Kraft Foods markets many of the world's leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Philadelphia cream cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 155 countries.
