The Kraft Heinz Company announced that L. Kevin Cox, Mary Lou Kelley, and Tony Palmer have been appointed to join its board of directors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin, Mary Lou, and Tony to our Kraft Heinz Board of Directors – especially at such a critical time in our company’s transformation,” said Miguel Patricio, executive chair of the Board of Directors of Kraft Heinz. “Each of them brings extensive senior management expertise from complex, large-scale corporations, as well as other board experience. Their combined decades of insight and experience will be incredibly valuable as we deliver on our core business and prepare to separate Kraft Heinz into two industry-leading companies.”

Cox has been a highly regarded Human Resources leader for more than three decades, bringing valuable experience leading large-scale, complex change at some of the world’s largest corporations. He now provides strategic consulting services through his own firm, LKC Advisory LLC, focusing on executive leadership development, organizational culture transformation, and talent management strategies to drive performance and growth.

He joined GE prior to its spinoff into three separate companies focused on healthcare, energy, and aerospace, serving as senior vice president and chief human resources officer from 2019 to 2023. Toward the end of his tenure, he served as both CHRO of GE and CAO at GE Aerospace from 2023 to 2024. 

Kelley brings exceptional retail, e-commerce, and brand marketing leadership experience to the board, most recently serving as president, e-commerce, for Best Buy Co., Inc. from 2014 to 2017, where she led its online business as well as its digital and technology strategy and execution. She currently serves as a director at Yeti, an outdoor products company, and as a director of Finning International, which sells, rents and provides parts and services for equipment and engines to customers in various industries.

Palmer has broad-based consumer packaged goods experience and a record of accelerating growth and profitability at leading consumer brands. He also brings expertise in product innovation and marketing, and international operations. Currently an operating partner at One Rock Capital Partners LLC, he is incredibly knowledgeable about consumer goods and driving growth through strategic initiatives. He held a range of senior leadership positions at Kimberly-Clark and brings strong global experience from the Kellogg Company and the Coca-Cola Company. He currently serves as a director of Brambles, a supply chain logistics company, and previously served as a director for 14 years at The Hershey Company.

“Kevin, Mary Lou, and Tony will be tremendous assets to the Board and partners to the Kraft Heinz Executive Team,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, CEO and board member at Kraft Heinz. “Their expertise across CPG, retail, and e-commerce space – as well as in organizational transformation – will complement the broad, deep, and diverse experience of our other directors. This is especially important as we focus on driving performance within our existing business, while simultaneously separating into two independent, publicly traded companies.”

About the Kraft Heinz Company
We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company, inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2024 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of eight consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways.