Kraft Foods International

"David (Dave) Brearton is Executive Vice President, Operations & Business Services. In this role, he leads the information systems and procurement functions as well as Kraft’s shared services sites, while providing functional leadership for manufacturing and customer service and logistics. Dave also leads the “Catalyst” ERP project, currently focused in North America. Dave joined Kraft Canada in 1984 as a Financial Analyst and has since progressed through a series of roles of increasing responsibility. In 1994, he was named Director, European Financial Planning & Analysis, based in Switzerland, and transferred to Rye Brook, New York in 1996, to become Director, Financial Planning & Analysis, Kraft Foods International (KFI). Dave was appointed Vice President Finance, Northern Europe, KFI based in Cheltenham, England in 1998. Then, in 1999, he became Vice President, Finance for the European Union Region of KFI, based in London, England, where he led that region's financial organization for over three years. Dave was promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance, KFI, in 2002, and was named Senior Vice President, Finance, Kraft International Commercial in January 2004. In December 2004, Dave was appointed Senior Vice President, Business Process Simplification and served as Corporate Controller from 2004 to 2006. In 2006 Dave became the EVP, Global Business Services and Strategy, where he led the Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategy and Information Systems functions and started up Project “Catalyst”. Dave is on the board of America’s Second Harvest. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Queen's University in Canada and is a Certified Management Accountant. "

Jean E. Spence is executive vice president of Global Technology and Quality for Kraft Foods Inc. She is responsible for all research, product and packaging development, nutrition, quality, food safety and security, and scientific affairs worldwide. Spence joined Kraft in 1981 as a research engineer for Maxwell House coffee research and holds three U.S. and worldwide patents for her development work. She held a variety of management positions in Research and Development and Quality before being named Quality Assurance director in 1993. A year later in 1994, Spence was named research director for Beverages then became group director for Beverages and Desserts in 1995. She became vice president of Technology in 1996 and vice president for Worldwide Quality and Scientific Relations in 1999. In November 2001, she was appointed senior vice president of Worldwide Quality, Scientific Affairs and Compliance for Kraft Foods North America and was responsible for quality on a worldwide basis, coordinating global compliance programs, scientific relations, regulatory issues, microbiology, food safety and auditing. In August 2003, she was named senior vice president of Research and Development for Kraft Foods North America. In that role, she oversaw basic research, nutrition and product, product, package and process development. Prior to joining Kraft, Spence worked in manufacturing as a process supervisor for Procter and Gamble in Staten Island, N.Y. Spence received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Clarkson University and a master's in chemical engineering from Manhattan College. She is on the board of Girl Scouts Illinois Crossroads Council, a Clarkson University trustee, an International Life Sciences Institute trustee, and is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists. Spence lives in Wilmette, Ill. with her husband Robert, son Danny, 15, and daughter, Kerry, 12. She likes to cook, garden and ski.

"Marc Firestone is Executive Vice President, Corporate & Legal Affairs and General Counsel for Kraft Foods Inc. Marc is responsible for the company's corporate and government affairs, legal and compliance functions worldwide. Marc previously served as Kraft’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. In that role, he was responsible for the company's legal function worldwide and also served as Corporate Secretary of Kraft Foods Inc. Prior to joining Altria Group, Inc. (formerly Philip Morris Companies Inc.) in 1988, where he held a number of senior management positions within Legal and Regulatory affairs, Marc was an attorney at Arnold & Porter. In 1993, Marc was named Regional Counsel for Philip Morris Europe, covering Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, based in Switzerland. From 1995 to 1997, Marc was Senior Vice President, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs and Associate General Counsel for Philip Morris Companies in New York. Marc returned to Switzerland in 1998 as Chief Counsel for Philip Morris Europe. In 2001, he became Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Philip Morris International. Marc joined Kraft in 2003 as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Kraft Foods, and later that year was named Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Kraft Foods. Marc earned his Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages and Philosophy from Washington & Lee University and received his Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. "

"Tom Sampson is President, Foodservice. He was named to this position in February 2002. Tom joined Kraft in 1985 and has held a number of key marketing assignments in Cheese, including Category Business Director of Recipe Cheese and Sandwich Cheese. From 1996 to 1998, Tom was the Director of Marketing for the Pizza Division and led the national expansion of DiGiorno. In 1998, Tom was promoted to Vice President of Marketing for Oscar Mayer and led a turnaround of the core Oscar Mayer meat business. Prior to his current position, he was the Vice President of Category Sales Management and Strategy for Kraft Foods North America. He is on the Executive Board of International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, on the Board of Directors for Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Foodservice Forum, and is involved in Leadership Greater Chicago and LINK Unlimited, a not-for-profit organization that provides educational services and mentoring to economically disadvantaged African American youth from the Chicago area. He has a Bachelor’s from Notre Dame and a Master’s of Management from Northwestern University. "

"Gustavo Abelenda has served as President of Kraft Latin America Region since July 2003. Gustavo joined the company in 1984 in Argentina as a Cost Analyst and has gained extensive international experience in Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategy, Manufacturing, Research & Development, Sales, Marketing and General Management roles. In 1997, he was appointed General Manager of the Brazilian Beverages and Sugar confectionary business. One year later, he became Food Vice President for the Mercosur area. Between 2000 and 2003, Gustavo was Vice President and Managing Director Brazil, where he played a key role in the integration of Nabisco and Kraft Foods. He holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Moron, Argentina. "

"Maurizio has served as President of Kraft's Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (EEMA) region since April 2001. Maurizio joined Kraft in 1981 and held several positions in Marketing, before assuming the position of Business Development Manager in 1987. In 1992, he became Managing Director of El Caserio in Spain, where he integrated the company with Kraft Jacobs Suchard. Later, he became General Manager of the Cheese business unit of Kraft Jacobs Suchard Iberia. In 1996, Maurizio became Managing Director of Jacobs Suchard and successfully merged it with Kraft Foods Italy. Over the next several years, he led the turnaround of the Italian business. In 2000, he was promoted to the position of Area Director Italy, Greece, Switzerland and World Travel Retail Division, a business unit for the duty-free retail community. Maurizio holds a degree in Economics from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. "

"Richard (Rick) Searer is President, Kraft North America, Kraft Foods Inc., with responsibility for strategic direction, management and coordination of Kraft’s businesses in the United States and Canada. Prior to this appointment, Rick was Group Vice President and President of Kraft’s North American Convenient Meals Sector, where his responsibilities included the Oscar Mayer Division, the Kraft Pizza Division, the Kraft Meals Division, Boca Foods and Back To Nature. Rick was named to this position in 2004. Rick joined General Foods in 1981 as an Assistant Product Manager in the Maxwell House Division. In 1983, he became a Product Manager for Oscar Mayer and in 1986 became Group Brand Manager of Kraft cheese. Three years later, Rick was promoted to Marketing Manager for Louis Rich and Oscar Mayer. In 1991 he became Vice President of Marketing for Oscar Mayer followed by a move to Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Products later the same year. He was named Executive Vice President, Category Sales Management in 1995 and President of the Oscar Mayer Foods Division in August 1996. In December 1998, Rick became Executive Vice President of Kraft Foods Inc. and President of the Oscar Mayer and Pizza Divisions. Rick was named Group Vice President, Kraft Foods North America, and President of the Oscar Mayer, Pizza and Food Service Group in September 2000. In this role, Rick was responsible for such brands as Oscar Mayer, Claussen, Louis Rich, Lunchables, Di Giorno, Tombstone and Jack’s, as well as Boca Foods. Rick received a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Penn State University, a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration (with highest honors) in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University’s J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. "