CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tropicana Brands Group, which markets, manufactures and distributes premium juice products across North America and Europe, announced today that it has named William J. Kelley, Jr. as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective at the end of June and Rogier Smeets as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Europe effective June 13. These appointments come as the newly formed joint venture between PAI Partners and PepsiCo continues to build out its leadership team.
“I’m thrilled to welcome both Bill and Rogier to Tropicana Brands Group,” said Glen Walter, Chief Executive Officer, Tropicana Brands Group. “I’m confident we will benefit greatly from the addition of them both given their deep knowledge of and experience in the food and beverage industry and their shared commitment to operational and executional excellence that we are striving for as we continue to stand up our organization.”
Kelley brings more than 30 years of experience in the areas of finance, transformation and strategy. He joins from Treehouse Foods where he has spent the last six years, most recently as EVP and CFO. A food industry veteran, he also served in executive leadership roles at The Kraft Heinz Company and The Hillshire Brands Company.
“As someone with a passion for the food and beverage sector, the opportunity to join Tropicana Brands Group at this stage in its journey is incredibly exciting for me,” said Kelley. “I look forward to helping the company shape and achieve its vision to quench the world’s thirst for more delight and nourishment and further grow its storied brands like Tropicana and Naked.”
Smeets comes to Tropicana Brands Group via Upfield, the world’s largest plant-based consumer packaged goods company, where he held several leadership positions including President, Europe. Prior to Upfield, he built his career at Unilever in various marketing and commercial functions across Europe, US and Asia.
“I’m energized to take on the role of leading Europe for Tropicana Brands Group,” said Smeets. “As someone who’s helped carve out a business before, I know how much potential comes with the chance to be singularly-focused on one category and drive for growth through things like innovation and expansion. I look forward to working with the team to make an impact in a critical region for the business.”
To learn more about Tropicana Brands Group, visit www.tropicanabrandsgroup.com.
About Tropicana Brands Group
Tropicana Brands Group brings together an exciting, global portfolio of some of the world’s most iconic juice brands including Tropicana, Naked, KeVita, Izze, Dole, Copella, and Punica. Established in 2022 as a joint venture between PAI Partners and PepsiCo, the company aims to promote new growth for its business, opportunities for its people and accelerate a vision to quench the world’s thirst for more delight and nourishment. With a global footprint of more than 2,000 associates that spans North America and Europe, we are proud of our industry-leading capabilities in areas that include innovation, R&D, manufacturing, distribution, sales, marketing and nutrition expertise.
About PAI Partners
PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm, investing in market-leading companies across the globe. It has significant experience in the food and beverage space and is currently invested in Tropicana Brands Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium juice brands, Froneri, the world’s #2 ice cream manufacturer, and Ecotone, a leader in healthy and sustainable food. It manages over €17 billion of dedicated buyout funds and, since 1994, has completed 89 investments in 11 countries, representing over €65 billion in transaction value. PAI has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential - and push beyond. Learn more about the PAI story, the team and their approach at: www.paipartners.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lays, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
