Milling & Baking News - May 11, 2004 - 26

P E O P L E

Sara Lee names industry veteran
as its new chief operating officer
CHICAGO - Sara Lee Corp. last week
named Brenda C. Barnes, former head
of PepsiCola North America, as its new
president and chief operating officer.
Ms. Barnes, currently a board member
with Avon Products Inc.; The New York
Times Co.; Sears, Roebuck & Co.; and
Staples Inc., will begin her new role with
Sara Lee on July 1.
"We are delighted to have a leader of
Brenda's talent and experience joining
Sara Lee's senior executive team," said C.
Steven McMillan, Sara Lee's chief executive. "Brenda brings a tremendous wealth
of knowledge, integrity and operational
expertise to the company, and her reputation for delivering results while building
strong branded businesses makes her an
excellent match for Sara Lee."
She spent 22 years with PepsiCo. Before taking over as president and c.e.o.
of PepsiCola North America in 1996, she

was vice-president of marketing with
Frito-Lay.
Ms. Barnes left PepsiCola in 1998 to
spend more time with her family but
was interim president and chief operating officer of
Starwood Hotels
& Resorts from
November 1999
to March 2000.
Ms. Barnes, who
received a bachelor's degree in economics at AugusBarnes
tana College and a
master's degree in
business administration at Loyola University in Chicago, will become Sara Lee's first
c.o.o. since Mr. McMillan took over as the
company's c.e.o. in January 2000.
"Barnes brings significant consumer

Atlanta Bread names president
to fill in as c.e.o. awaits hearing
ATLANTA - Atlanta Bread Co., whose
chief executive remains in South Africa on
fraud charges, has appointed Rick Arras, a
veteran restaurant industry executive, as its
interim president.
Mr. Arras most recently was president
and chief executive of the Shoney's, Inc. restaurant chain. Previously, he was chief operating officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store, Inc. He has 25 years of experience in

the hospitality industry.
"This is a terrific brand that has been well
positioned," said Mr. Arras, who also has
worked with Atlanta Bread as a consultant.
"I am looking forward to working with
the management team to continue Atlanta
Bread Co.'s growth."
Mr. Arras will take over the day-to-day
leadership of the chain in the absence of Jerry Couvaras, its founder and c.e.o. Authori-

Snack Food Association taps Chilton as new
board chairman, other members elected
ALEXANDRIA, VA. - The Snack Food
Association recently elected new officers
and board members at SNAXPO 2004, its
annual conference and exposition. Nick
Chilton, president and chief executive
officer of Wyandot, Inc., Marion, Ohio,
was named chairman of the board.
Mr. Chilton has an extensive background in the food industry, including
leadership positions at The Procter &
Gamble Co., Clorox Co., Shaklee Corp.,
SC Johnson, and Oregon Farms, Inc. In
December 1994, he became the first nonfamily member hired to run Wyandot, a
family-owned snack food manufacturer.
The S.F.A. elected as first vice-chairman Robert J. Shearer, president and
c.e.o. of Shearer's Foods, Inc., Brewster,
Ohio; and as second vice-chairman Rich-

26 / Milling & Baking News, May 11, 2004

ard M. Rudolph, president of Rudolph
Foods Co., Inc., Lima, Ohio.
David R. Ray, Snyder of Berlin and
Husman's Snack Foods, divisions of Birds
Eye Foods, Berlin, Pa., and L. Nat Chandler, Mike-sell's Potato Chip Co., Dayton,
Ohio, will be past chairmen. The S.F.A.
said that John D. Bryce, Bryce Corp.,
Memphis, Tenn., was named president of
the Associate Executive Committee.
The S.F.A. elected the following board
members to three-year terms beginning
March 22: Matt Colford, Old Dutch
Foods, Inc.; David A. Jones, Golden Flake
Snack Foods, Inc.; T. Ross Long, KliklokWoodman; Gerald P. Schmalz, Humpty
Dumpty Snack Foods, Inc.; Ralph Simmons, Wise Foods, Inc.; and Alan F.
Sussna, Evans Food Group Ltd. MBN

brand experience to the company at a
time when Sara Lee is working to build
more powerful and profitable brands,"
said Leonard Teitelbaum, a food industry analyst with Merrill Lynch, in a research report released after Ms. Barnes'
appointment. "The fact that Ms. Barnes
has the c.o.o. title, as well as responsibility for global marketing and sales, will
probably strengthen the operating divisions' adoption of the (company's) new
brand segmentation strategy."
Sara Lee also announced that Cary D.
McMillan is leaving the company. Mr.
McMillan (no relation) most recently
was c.e.o. of its worldwide branded
apparel business. Earlier he was corporate executive vice-president and chief
financial and administrative officer. He
also was a member of the Sara Lee board
of directors. Mr. McMillan was replaced
as c.e.o. of branded apparel by Lee A.
Chaden. Mr. Chaden, 62, is an executive
vice-president of the corporation and
currently leads Sara Lee's global marketing and sales function. MBN

ties arrested Mr. Couvaras in late March in
his native South Africa on fraud charges
related to a failed investment scheme in the
early 1990s. (See Milling & Baking News of
April 27, Page 33.)
Mr. Couvaras' next appearance in court is
scheduled June 2, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said last week.
Meanwhile, his brother, Basil Couvaras,
also faces similar charges in South Africa
but currently remains in Atlanta as the c.o.o.
of Atlanta Bread.
The newspaper said authorities in South
Africa will seek to have him extradited if he
does not voluntarily return to the country. MBN
The Industrial Fumigant Co., Olathe,
Kas., has named Tony Donoho as national
accounts manager. In his new position,
Mr. Donoho will be
responsible for attracting new national
accounts as well as
developing
closer
relationships
with
existing
national
clients. Mr. Donoho
has a wide range of
experience in sales,
marketing,
operaDonoho
tions, service and extensive involvement
in the pest management industry. "Tony's
many years of pest management industry
experience, his product knowledge and his
branch management experience favorably
contribute to his new role with I.F.C.," said
Chris Mueller, executive vice-president of
operations, I.F.C. MBN
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