PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Kraft Heinz Company today announced that Abby Blunt, who has led the company’s Washington, D.C.-based Global Government Affairs team since 2012, has been appointed Strategic Advisor for Government & ESG Affairs and Advisor to the Board. After a distinguished 20-year career with Kraft Heinz, Abby will transition to this new role in a part-time capacity, allowing her to focus on the two corporate boards she has recently been asked to join, while still supporting Kraft Heinz initiatives. Her new role is effective Oct. 4.
Since 2012, Abby has led the organization through significant milestones, including the drafting and implementation of new labeling laws in the United States related to the disclosure of GMOs, advocating for the most significant changes to the U.S. tax code in more than a decade, driving the tariff exemption process in support of Kraft Heinz products, ingredients and packaging, and providing valuable Government Affairs support to the company’s factories around the world. Abby also spearheaded the company’s first Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event in Washington, D.C., where senior Kraft Heinz leaders and members of the U.S. Congress and diplomats representing communities where Kraft Heinz does business teamed up to pack meals for people in need around the world. This event supported the Kraft Heinz Company Foundation mission to fight global hunger, with the ambition of providing 1.5 billion nutritious meals to people in need by 2025.
More recently, Abby has showcased her leadership over the past 18 months as a member of the Kraft Heinz COVID-19 Global Task Force. In this capacity, Abby has played a critical role working with U.S., state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and Kraft Heinz industry peers to secure testing, COVID-19 vaccines, and other critical government assistance during the pandemic.
With Abby’s transition, Bill Behrens joins Kraft Heinz as Vice President, Global Head of Government Affairs, effective Sept. 13. Based in Washington, D.C., he will oversee the company’s Global Government Affairs team. In this role, he will lead the company’s efforts to advocate on critical issues with key policymakers and regulators in the United States and across the globe. Bill spent the last 10 years at General Electric (GE) – most recently as GE’s Head of Federal Government Affairs & Policy.
Throughout his time at GE, he developed and implemented federal government affairs advocacy strategies for all GE businesses. He also designed and successfully launched a corporate-wide initiative to add an extensive grassroots capacity to the company’s advocacy toolkit. “GE Voices” expanded the company’s reach to employees, suppliers, retirees and external stakeholders, and was successfully deployed during the U.S. export credit and tax debates in 2016 and 2017. Before joining GE, Bill worked as a Special Assistant to the President at the White House and a Senior Advisor in the U.S. State Department.
ABOUT THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY
We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC), inspired by our Purpose, Let’s Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2020 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we’re dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
