New recruits give Kraft board a boost

Kraft Foods, the US processed food giant which is trying to take over Cadbury, moved to beef up its board today in an attempt to add credibility to its bid.

The company today appointed Jean-François van Boxmeer and Mackey McDonald as directors.

Van Boxmeer, 48, is the chairman and chief executive of Heineken and the man who led last year's takeover of Scottish & Newcastle, quickly expanding the lager maker's presence in Britain.

Kraft hopes he will offer insight as it pushes a £10.3 billion deal for Cadbury which the Dairy Milk maker is presently resisting.

McDonald is a highly experienced player in the consumer business world, most recently as top man at VF Corporation, a manufacturer of retail apparel and the No. 1 maker of jeans worldwide.

He is also on the boards of Wells Fargo and Hyatt Hotels.

Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and chief executive of Kraft, said: "Jean-François and Mackey will be terrific additions to our board as we continue to build on our position as a global powerhouse in snacks, confectionery and quick meals.

"Jean-François is known as a builder of iconic, global brands with a strong track record for driving revenue growth and leading acquisitions and integrations.

"Mackey brings a deep knowledge of consumer products, retailing, marketing and brand-building, as well as deep experience in leading business transformation," she added.