CEO Responsible for Nutella's Growth in United States to Lead Ajinomoto Windsor

Former Ferrero USA CEO Bernard Kreilmann brings over twenty years of leadership experience to Ajinomoto Windsor and sees tremendous growth opportunity in the frozen food industry.

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Ajinomoto Windsor

Sep 01, 2015, 01:30 ET

ONTARIO, Calif., Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.), a worldwide leader in high-quality seasonings and foods headquartered in Tokyo, announced today that it has appointed Bernard Kreilmann CEO of its North America subsidiary, Ajinomoto Windsor, a leading manufacturer of ethnic frozen foods in the U.S.

Ajinomoto Windsor Logo

For the past eleven years, Kreilmann had been the CEO of Ferrero USA and was instrumental in helping grow sales 250% from $200 million to over $700 million. Ferrero USA is the North America division of Ferrero SPA, the fourth largest chocolate company in the world. Ferrero USA products include Nutella chocolate spread and Tic Tac breath mints.

"We are very excited to have someone of Bernard's caliber join our leadership team," said Takaaki Nishii, President and CEO of Ajinomoto Co. "His uncanny ability to build the popularity of brands and anticipate customer demand will help drive the future success of our business."

Ajinomoto Windsor is a leading producer of high-quality frozen foods for consumers, commercial restaurants, foodservice operators and industrial customers in North America. Ajinomoto Windsor owns leading brands in the three largest categories of ethnic frozen foods, including Tai Pei (Asian), Bernardi (Italian) and Jose Ole (Mexican).

"Ajinomoto Windsor is already a powerhouse in the frozen food industry and has had great success in the ethnic frozen food market," said Kreilmann. "I am really looking forward to working with our employees and customers to usher in a new era of prosperity for the company."

Ajinomoto Co. has set a goal of ranking among the world's ten biggest food manufacturers by 2020. The company is looking to achieve this high mark through an acquisition budget of over $1 billion, tie-ups and structural reforms. Ajinomoto Windsor, previously known as Windsor Foods, was acquired by Ajinomoto Co. last year and provides the Tokyo-based company with an established growth-oriented platform into the North American market. Ajinomoto Windsor's ethnic positioning, leading brands and channel diversity, combined with Ajinomoto Co.'s global scale and resources, position the combined company for long-term global growth and success.

About Ajinomoto Co., Inc.: Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. For many decades, Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and human health through wide-ranging applications of amino acid technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 26 countries and regions, Ajinomoto Co. had consolidated net sales of JPY 991.3 billion (USD 11 billion) in fiscal 2013. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO: 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com.

About Ajinomoto Windsor: Ajinomoto Windsor manufactures and markets high-quality specialty frozen foods and operates eight manufacturing plants located in five states. The award-winning company offers diverse and popular brand lines that include Tai Pei, Ling Ling and Golden Tiger Pan-Asian appetizers, Bernardi Italian cuisine, Jose Ole and Posada Mexican appetizers and specialties, and Fred's for Starters appetizers. For more information, visit www.ajinomotowindsor.com.