Senior shuffles at Campbell and Sara Lee

Sean Connolly is head of Sara Lee Corp. in North America.

ORRVILLE, OH and CAMDEN, N.J.—There are new heads of Sara Lee Corp. and Campbell North America.

Sean Connolly is leaving Campbell to take the reins at Sara Lee Corp. on Jan. 17 as chief executive officer of its North American retail and foodservice business. Connolly will be chief executive officer of MeatCo, Sara Lee’s North American meats business, a planned spinoff of its international coffee and tea business announced last January. The spinoff is expected to be completed in the second calendar quarter of 2012. 

In October 2011, Sara Lee signed a deal to sell most of its North American foodservice coffee, tea and cocoa business to The JM Smucker Company for $350 million for the Sara Lee brands Douwe Egberts liquid coffee concentrate (sold under licence) as well as roast and ground coffee, cappuccino, tea and cocoa. The company announced at the time that it planned to close the rest of the North American coffee business that was not included in the Smucker deal.

Mark Alexander's duties include overseeing Campbell Canada and the company's North American foodservice business.

Connolly, who joined Campbell in 2002 as vice-president, food brands, succeeds Marcel Smits, chief executive officer, Sara Lee Corp.,who assumed responsibilities for leading the North American business in September 2011 until a permanent leader was named.

Taking over from Connolly at Campbell as of January 16th, Mark Alexander will oversee the North America soup, sauces and beverages business, Campbell Canada, and Campbell’s North America foodservice business, all of which add up to approximately $4.6 billion in annual revenue for the company.

Alexander, who has been with the company since 1989, is currently president – Campbell International, which covers Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America. Previously, Alexander was chief customer officer and president – North America baking and snacking