Green Mountain Appoints Coke Exec as New President and CEO

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has appointed Brian Kelley as new president and CEO, effective Dec. 3. He replaces Lawrence Blanford, who in February said he would be retiring. Kelley has most recently served as an executive with the Coca-Cola company, where he was named president of its North American business unit in September.

In an announcement of the appointment, Green Mountain identified Kelley as “a proven consumer products executive.” In the following statement from Kelley, he cites GMCR’s Keurig single-cup brewing system as a “truly disruptive” technology:

“GMCR is a Company with strong character and compelling purpose, coupled with strong brands and products about which consumers are passionate. With its truly disruptive Keurig^® brewing technology, GMCR’s accomplished something unique in the world of consumer products: it is changing consumer behavior by changing the way we brew and enjoy coffee,” said Kelley. “I am honored and excited by the opportunity to lead this organization whose products have sparked unparalleled growth in specialty coffee, and I look forward to working with its dedicated employees to drive continued growth and to deliver new innovations.”