CHICAGO _ Mondelez International, the maker of snacks like Oreo cookies, Sour Patch Kids candy and Triscuit crackers, has lost another high-ranking executive.
Dana Anderson, the company's chief marketing officer, has taken the same role at advisory firm MediaLink. Anderson, who has been with Mondelez since 2009, is the second top executive in as many weeks to leave the global food company. Mondelez, headquartered in suburban Chicago, announced the departure of North American President Roberto Marques last week. Marques is staying on at the company for a few weeks to "ensure a smooth transition" for Chief Growth Officer Tim Cofer, who will act as interim president of the North American business while the company searches for a permanent successor.
The departures come on the heels of reports earlier this month that Mondelez hired a recruiting firm to search for possible replacements for CEO Irene Rosenfeld, who has led the company since 2006, prior to its split from Kraft Foods in 2012.
Mondelez spokesman Michael Mitchell said last week that the departure of Marques and reports that Mondelez may be looking to replace its CEO are unrelated. Regarding Anderson's resignation, Mondelez said "this departure opens up an opportunity to evolve the CMO role as part of the company's larger marketing reinvention for its global Power Brands, including Oreo, belVita, Milka, Cadbury and Trident."
Mondelez said it's taking the opportunity to "reinvent" its marketing plans to better respond to an ever-changing market, "from shifting consumer habits and the rapidly evolving retail environment to the advent of big data and new technology."
MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan, in announcing Anderson's hire, said she "brings a rare mix of business intelligence developed as a global marketer combined with go-to-market ingenuity developed as an agency CEO."
