FMCG giant Tropicana Brands Group has named William J. Kelley, Jr. as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Rogier Smeets as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Europe. The appointments would be effective at the end of June and June 13th respectively.

Glen Walter, Chief Executive Officer, Tropicana Brands Group said, “I am 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 organisation. I am thrilled to welcome both Bill and Rogier to Tropicana Brands Group.”

Prior to Tropicana, Kelley Jr. was the EVP and CFO at Treehouse Foods where he has spent the last six years. Also a food industry veteran, he also served in executive leadership roles at The Kraft Heinz Company and The Hillshire Brands Company. He will bring more than thirty years of experience in the areas of finance, transformation and strategy and is tasked to kick-start Tropicana’s growth in other markets.

“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. 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,” said William J. Kelley, Jr.

Rogier Smeets comes to Tropicana Brands Group via Upfield 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 energised to take on the role of leading Europe for Tropicana Brands Group. 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, ” said Rogier Smeets. 

These appointments come as the newly formed joint venture between PAI Partners and PepsiCo continues to build out its leadership team.