Sara Lee Names More Coffee-Tea Unit Leaders

NEW YORK (AP) — Food company Sara Lee Corp. has named Harm-Jan van Pelt as chief operating officer of the portion of its international coffee and tea business that covers Eastern Europe, Australia, Asia and Latin America.

Sara Lee said Wednesday that van Pelt, 49, will remain in that role once the international coffee and tea business is spun off later this year. Van Pelt has worked in various roles at Sara Lee, starting with the company in 1998.

Sara Lee also announced that Eugenio Minvielle will serve as COO of its international coffee and tea developed markets unit, which will mostly concentrate on Western Europe.

Minvielle, 47, was most recently Unilever's CEO North America, a position in which he oversaw the company's U.S., Canadian and Caribbean operations. He previously served as president and CEO of Nestle France, Mexico and Venezuela.

Both van Pelt and Minvielle will report to International Coffee and Tea business CEO Michiel Herkemij.

Sara Lee previously announced its plans to split into two publicly-traded businesses: the international coffee and tea company and a meats company. The spinoff of the coffee and tea business, which includes brands such as Senseo and Pickwick Teas, is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Sara Lee, which is based in Downers Grove, Ill., will focus on the meat business with brands such as Ball Park hot dogs and Jimmy Dean sausage.

Earlier this month Sara Lee said that its shareholders will get stock valued at up to $4.55 billion when it spins off the international coffee and tea business. The business will also move its headquarters from Utrecht to Amsterdam in the second half of the year in part to be close to key Western European markets.