WOODRIDGE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wilton Brands LLC is pleased to announce that Dan Butler has joined the company as President and CEO. Bruce MacDougall, President and Chief Operating Officer, announced his retirement from the Company in January. Butler will report to Jerry W. Levin, Executive Chairman of the Board.
"We are delighted to welcome Dan to the Wilton Brands family and believe that his over 20 years of proven management skills and experience leading food and consumer businesses such as Kraft and UST Inc., make him a perfect choice to lead our organization, " said Jerry W. Levin, Wilton Brands’ Chairman.
Dan Butler stated, “Wilton Brands has an iconic portfolio of brands and an excellent leadership team. Over the past four years, Jerry and the Wilton Brands team have positioned us for growth. I am very excited to be a part of the next chapter of Wilton Brands and look forward to accelerating and strengthening our position as the preeminent supplier in the Craft Industry.”
Since 2010, Dan Butler has been self-employed in real estate investment and management. Prior to this, he was employed with UST Inc. for 5 years as President of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company and Executive Vice President/General Manager. UST Inc. was acquired by Altria Inc. in 2009.
Butler also spent 17 years with Kraft Foods. At Kraft, he moved up through a variety of brand management positions of increasing responsibility, and ultimately went on to lead two of the company’s largest divisions. He was the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Kraft Canada, responsible for the entire Kraft portfolio in that country. From Canada, he returned to the U.S. as Executive Vice President/General Manager of the Nabisco Biscuit Division, maker of well-known brands such as OREO®, Chips Ahoy!®, Triscuit®, Ritz®, and Wheat Thins®.
ABOUT WILTON BRANDS LLC
Wilton Brands LLC (“Wilton Brands”) helps consumers in over 100 countries create, decorate and celebrate by making the memorable and the beautiful fun and easy. Headquartered in Woodridge, Ill., Wilton Brands creates world class inspiration and creative content, effective instruction and education, and innovative products that ensure the consumer's success. Wilton is the global leader in cake decorating and bakeware products. Simplicity Creative Group offers a family of well-known craft, sewing, knitting, hobby and home decorating brands which includes: Simplicity® Pattern Company, Wrights®, Conso®, Boye® Needle, E-Z Quilting®, Dimensions and British Trimmings. In addition, EK Success Brands® is the leader in paper crafting products as well as a supplier of some of the craft industry’s most respected brands of jewelry making and kids’ crafts under the Jolee’s Boutique®, K&Company®, Inkadinkado®, ® K&Company SMASH®, Sticko®, Perler®, Martha Stewart Crafts™, and American Girl Crafts® brands. More information can be found at www.wilton.com, www.simplicity.com and www.eksuccessbrands.com. Wilton Brands believes We make it easy…you make it amazing! ™
