Lenny Named IRI Chair
Information Resources Inc. has named Richard H. Lenny chairman of its board of directors.
“I am deeply appreciative to Larry for his personal guidance, tremendous contributions to IRI and his continued involvement on the board and support of the business,” said IRI president and chief executive officer Andrew Appel. “During the past two years, Larry has made a significant impact on our business through his tireless energy and passionate focus on our retailer and manufacturer clients.”
“Rick brings to IRI an impressive background, including more than three decades of experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) arena, and we are thrilled to have him picking up the torch and helping us drive our ‘Growth Delivered’ strategy forward,” added Appel. “His experience with the client side of our business and resounding track record of leadership success will provide unique perspective to help us accomplish our most critical objectives and exceed our clients’ expectations.”
Lenny previously served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Hershey Company, where he developed a value-enhancing strategy which delivered superior marketplace and financial performance. Prior to Hershey, Lenny was president of Nabisco Biscuit Company. When acquired by Kraft in 2000, Lenny was named group vice president of Kraft Foods and president, Nabisco Biscuit and Snacks.
Lenny joined Nabisco in 1998 from the Pillsbury Company, where he was president of Pillsbury, North America. Prior to this, he spent 18 years at Kraft Foods, Inc., where he held a number of senior marketing and sales positions.
“For more than 30 years, IRI has enabled its clients to win in the marketplace by developing and delivering superior insights and truly innovative capabilities,” added Lenny. “I look forward to working with Andrew and his team to accelerate IRI’s success and further solidify its role as a growth catalyst within the CPG industry.”
Lenny is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and holds an MBA with honors in marketing and finance as well as a bachelor’s degree in marketing, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University, which named Lenny to its 2007 Business Hall of Fame and awarded him the 2005 Alumni Achievement Award.
Lenny currently serves on the board of directors of McDonald’s Corporation, Discover Financial Services, and ConAgra Foods Inc. Lenny previously served on the board of directors of Sunoco, Inc. and was also chairman of the board of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and chaired its executive committee. In 2008, he received GMA’s Hall of Achievement award.
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