Erlanger-based confections manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle Americas unveiled Rebecca Dunphey as its new president for the company’s Americas Business Unit.
The company is known for producing major brands including Airheads, Mentos, Chupa Chups, Trident and Dentyne.
Dunphey will report to the Group CEO and Executive Director Sameer Suneja. She succeeds Sylvia Buxton, who led the North America business for more than seven years.
During Buxton’s tenure, the company grew to become the third-largest confectionery manufacturer in the U.S. and expanded its Americas operations to about 2,300 employees across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Latin America, according to the organization.
“I’m very happy to welcome Rebecca to the Perfetti Van Melle family,” Suneja said in a news release. “As our Americas business continues to expand Rebecca’s global P&L oversight and leadership experience will help us to continue to accelerate to meet consumer and customer demand for our unique and loved candy, gum and mint products.”
Dunphey brings over twenty years of experience in consumer packaged goods, including roles at Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, Clorox and, most recently, Kraft Heinz, where she served as a business unit president. Her background includes marketing and general management positions across the U.S. and Latin American markets.
“I’m thrilled and ready to join a company that is known for its iconic brands, innovative DNA and a culture that cares for its people,” Dunphey said in the release. “I look forward to building on all that’s been achieved in recent years in the Americas region.”