Kellogg Co. on Monday announced the appointment of James M. Jenness as chairman and chief executive, following the resignation of Carlos Gutierrez to take the post of U.S. Commerce Secretary.
President Bush chose Gutierrez to replace Donald Evans, who announced his resignation shortly after the Nov. 2 election. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
Jenness, 58, was elected to succeed Gutierrez at a special meeting of Kellogg's board of directors, the company said.
Jenness, a member of the Battle Creek-based company's board since 2000, previously served as chief executive of Integrated Merchandising Systems LLC, which specializes in retail promotion and branded merchandising. Before that, he was vice chairman and chief operating officer of Leo Burnett Company, Kellogg's major advertising agency partner.
Gutierrez, 51, joined Kellogg in 1975 and has served in a variety of senior management positions. As chairman and chief executive, he has guided the company through a major restructuring and turnaround, which saw earnings take off and brands be reinvigorated.
The board also elected David Mackay, president and chief operating officer, to its ranks. Both his and Jenness' appointments are subject to Gutierrez's confirmation and swearing-in, the company said.
In a statement, Gutierrez praised Jenness as "a strong leader with world-class marketing skills."
"During his 30-year relationship with the company, he has been directly involved with building Kellogg brands around the world and most recently served as chairman of the consumer marketing committee of the Kellogg board of directors," Gutierrez said. "He has been instrumental in setting and implementing the company's current strategy. He knows our business, our culture and our people well."