Jeri B. Finard joined the Board of Directors of Citizens Communications Company in December 2005. From April 2006 until May 2007 Ms. Finard was Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Kraft Foods Inc. Prior to that she was Executive Vice President Global Category Development and before that Group Vice President and President U.S. Beverages Sector of Kraft Foods Inc. Kraft Foods Inc. through its subsidiaries engages in the manufacture and sale of branded foods and beverages in the United States Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa.
Ms. Finard joined General Foods Corporation (which later merged with Kraft Inc.) in 1986 as Assistant Product Manager in the Meals Division. She advanced through a number of marketing and business positions spanning several food categories and in 1995 was named Director of Strategy and New Product Development for the Maxwell House Coffee Division. Ms. Finard also was responsible for running the General Foods International Coffees and Maxwell House Cappuccino businesses. In 1997 her responsibilities were broadened to include Strategy and New Product Development for Post Cereals. Her work led to the launch of Post Oreo O's -- one of the most successful new products in Post cereal history and a winner of the 1998 Edison Gold Award for best new product in the breakfast category.
In 1998 Ms. Finard was named President and General Manager of Callard & Bowser/Balance Bar (CB2). In 2000 she was named as Executive Vice President Kraft Foods North America and General Manager of Kraft's Desserts Division and became a member of the company's Operating Committee. In this role Finard was responsible for managing some of Kraft's most successful and fastest-growing businesses including Jell-O gelatin Altoids mints Toblerone chocolate and Balance energy bars.
Finard earned a B.A. in politics from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. |