Peter Mitchell leaves Mondelez

"It was a mutually agreed decision, and I am working towards my next role," said Mitchell, who added that he was keen to stay in Asia-Pacific. "I've lived in many countries and I can honestly say that my roots are here in Asia and this is where I want to be based."

Mitchell moved to Singapore for the Mondelez role in January 2014 from Chicago, where he was managing director for Mindshare's BP global digital account. During his time with the snack-food giant, Mitchell was instrumental in propelling Mobile Futures, an initiative that pairs mobile startups with Mondelez' portfolio of brands. 

Mitchell was unable to provide further comment about his departure, only adding that he is grateful for his time at Mondelez and had benefited greatly from working with Bonin Bough, chief media and ecommerce officer at Mondelez.

Due to this development, Mitchell has had to bow out of several commitments including a speaking engagement at Campaign Asia-Pacific's Marketing Innovation Summit and as a judge on the Campaign Innovate startup competition. 

Mondelez International announced a reorganisation of its senior management on 28 October, naming chief growth officer Mark Clouse to the post of chief commercial officer starting in January. He will be succeeded as chief growth officer by Tim Cofer, currently head of the company's APAC and EEMEA business. Cofer will be relocating from Singapore to New York.  

It has been reported that the packaged-goods company has recently come under pressure from investors to streamline and reduce costs. One example is William Ackerman of Pershing Square Capital Management, who disclosed a US$5.5 billion stake in Mondelez in August. 

In a September update to investors, Mondelez explained that its aggressive cost reduction programmes have been focused on 'reinventing' its global supply chain and reconfiguring its manufacturing network. It has also implemented zero-based budgeting tools to "reset spending, identify specific cost reductions and capture sustainable savings". 

These savings will be pumped back into accelerating base business growth via additional advertising and consumer support, while also shifting spending to digital and social channels. In addition, the company will expand packaging formats to increase accessibility to new households and new channels, as well as enter 'white spaces' with proven innovation platforms.