CHICAGO — Conagra Brands, parent company to commercial bakery brands including Glutino and Udi’s, is following up on its recent leadership announcements with the appointment of Amy Held as EVP and chief administrative officer, a newly created role designed to streamline key corporate functions.
Effective Sept. 14, Held will oversee human resources and corporate communications and will serve as chief of staff, reporting directly to president and CEO John Brase. Jon Harris, current EVP and chief networking officer, will leave the company in September.
“Bringing HR and Communications together under one leader is consistent with how we are approaching the entire organization — with simplicity and accountability,” Brase said. “Amy brings exactly the experience and perspective we need to build on Conagra’s strong foundation, and I am confident that bringing these together under unified leadership will make us a stronger, more connected organization.”
Held brings more than 25 years of experience spanning corporate strategy, M&A and organizational transformation across CPG. Most recently, Held served as chief human resource officer at The Simply Good Foods Co., and prior to that, she spent more than a decade at The J.M. Smucker Co., ultimately becoming chief transformation officer.
“Conagra has an incredible portfolio of brands and a team that is deeply committed to the work,” Held said. “I look forward to working alongside John and the rest of Conagra’s talented team to help the organization deliver on our ambitions.”
The company also announced that Charisse Brock, EVP and chief human resources officer, will retire in October after 20 years with Conagra.
“As we welcome Amy, I also want to recognize two outstanding leaders,” Brase said. “Charisse helped shape our culture, strengthen our leadership and elevate Human Resources into a true strategic business partner. Jon transformed Communications into a strategic enterprise function that strengthened our reputation and helped advance business strategy. We are deeply grateful for their leadership, their lasting contributions to Conagra, and wish them every success in their next chapters.”
