ADM Cocoa restructures

ADM Cocoa is restructuring its organization into five key regions and business units, in an effort to enhance the level of service and support offered by its global cocoa and chocolate team.
 
The reorganization includes a number of appointments and role expansions, with five team leaders named to head up the various units.

• Grant Belden has been named general manager of global trading, sourcing and semi-finished. He previously was trading director for cocoa liquor, butter and non-cocoa ingredients.
• Benoit Villers, director of sales and marketing, will lead global gourmet and marketing. His responsibilities include the recently launched deZaan™ Gourmet collection of high-quality cocoa products. After a successful launch in Asia, ADM will continue to focus on this new gourmet line of cocoa products specially developed for artisan bakers and chefs.
• Chris Beetge, European chocolate manager, now heads up Europe and the Middle East, while Dennis Whalen will remain in charge of the Americas. Yeong Chye will remain managing director of Cocoa Asia, where ADM has recently expanded its cocoa processing facility in Singapore.

Scott Walker continues to head the team as president of ADM Cocoa. “The five leaders will have full business responsibility for all activities in their regions and business units, including commercial, sales, product development and operations," he said in a statement. "We are confident that, with such a strong team in place, we can continue to draw on our knowledge of cocoa and the rich heritage of deZaan to deliver great results for our customers that surpass consumers’ expectations.”

In addition, ADM announced that Kai-Uwe Ostheim will become general manager of Global Sustainability Cocoa. He will take a leadership position in moving the global sustainability program forward, partnering with stakeholders involved in the cocoa supply chain and working closely with ADM’s global customer base to provide sustainable cocoa and chocolate solutions. Ostheim also will be responsible for ADM’s flagship cocoa sustainability program–Socially and Environmentally Responsible Agricultural Practices (SERAP).

Rinus Heemskerk will expand his role as global director of innovation. His areas of responsibility will include the Advantage Centre network, where customers can work with ADM’s technical experts to tailor formulations, as well as the “Less is More” program, which offers solutions to customers that help to contain costs without compromising quality.
 
Tim Coonan has been named vice president of global risk cocoa and will now chair ADM’s global cocoa risk committee.