Oreo manufacturer replaced head of business in Russia after criticism in the West – Kommersant

The American company Mondelez, the manufacturer of Oreo, Barney, Alpen Gold and Milka, has appointed a new general manager in Russia and given him greater autonomy, reported Reuters with reference to internal documents. The company was criticized for continuing to operate in Russia.

According to the agency, the executive director of the European branch of Mondelez, Vince Gruber, called the Russian division an autonomous organization. Alexey Blinov has been appointed as the new general manager in Russia. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is the CFO of Mondelez in Moscow.

“From the end of 2023, we have made the operation of our local businesses more independent. Products sold in Russia are now produced and distributed locally, without importing finished products from Europe to Russia or exporting from Russia to Europe,” the chief executive of Mondelez Europe said in comments to Reuters.

Mondelez owns three factories in Russia – the Bolshevik plant, as well as enterprises in Pokrov and Veliky Novgorod. After the outbreak of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, the company suspended advertising and investments in Russian business.

Mondelez owns the brands 7Days, Alpen Gold, Barni, BelVita, Halls, LU, Milka, Oreo, Toblerone, Tuc. The company operates in 160 countries around the world. Its business in Europe is divided into 14 commercial divisions. Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Mondelez has emphasized that its products are “essential everyday products for ordinary people,” and suspending operations in Russia “would mean cutting off food supplies for many families.”

Due to its refusal to stop working in Russia, Ukrainian authorities included Mondelez on the list of “international war sponsors.” At the end of 2022, Mondelez’s profit in Russia amounted to $339 million. The company paid $61 million in taxes to the Russian budget. Mondelez has been boycotted by dozens of Scandinavian companies, including airlines SAS and Norwegian Air, railway group SJ, hotel chain Strawberry, retail chain Elkjop, shipping group Fjord Line, and the Norwegian Football Association.

Anastasia Larina