Jeri Finard, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., has decided to leave the company for personal reasons. Kraft is conducting an internal and external search for its next CMO. The position is responsibly for breakthrough innovation, consumer services and providing world-class marketing services to Kraft’s businesses.

Snyder’s of Hanover, Hanover, Pa., has promoted Carl E. Lee to president and chief executive officer. Lee joined the company as president in March and will be elected to the board of directors during the June meeting. Previously, Lee was with Frito-Lay, where he rose through the ranks from sales and marketing to vice president and general manager. Michael A. Warehime will remain chairman of the board at Snyder’s of Hanover, where he will focus on strategic planning of branded snack products globally.

Hill and Valley, a producer of no-sugar-added and sugar-free desserts based in Rock Island, Ill., has announced several new positions. Phillip A. Ramey has been named to the newly created position of customer service manager. Robert W. Edgcomb has been appointed sanitation and food safety manager. Jose Velez has been moved from sanitation and production manager to R&D and quality assurance manager. Michael Cleary has been promoted to director of purchasing.

Lallemand/American Yeast, Rexdale, Ontario, has appointed Virgil W. Smail the company’s new leader for a small but growing team servicing the functional nutritional food producers to be grouped in its new Nutritional Food Ingredients division. Smail brings with him more then 20 years of experience in cereal-based research, industrial business development, and new product and services development.

Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed, Ithaca, N.Y., has named Gerald Lisowski general manager of the North American and Latin American checkweigher manufacturer. Lisowski brings with him more than 20 years of business leadership experience. Most recently, he served as vice president and general manager of Taiyo Birdair Corp.

MGP Ingredients, Inc., Atchison, Kan., has appointed Sukh Bassi to the newly created position of vice president of scientific affairs. Bassi formerly served as vice president of research and development, and later as vice president of new product innovations.

Avatar Corp., University Park, Ill., has named Richard F. Staack, Ph.D, vice president of product development and research. Staack recently served as vice president of sales and new business development for Cevena Bioproducts.

Nilfisk-Advance America, Malvern, Pa., has promoted Kim Kanis to eastern region sales manager. Prior to this promotion, Kanis served as district sales manager for New York and New Jersey, where for seven years he oversaw direct sales to a variety of dust-sensitive industries, including pharmaceutical industry leaders such as OrthaVita and Bristol-Meyers Squib.