Rob Vitale, CEO of US packaged food manufacturer Post Holdings, has returned to the company after a period of medical leave.
Vitale came back to his role as president and CEO as of yesterday (30 January), the business confirmed in a statement.
Jeff Zadoks, who had been serving as interim CEO since Vitale’s departure last November, will return to his original position of executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Vitale had also taken a medical leave of absence from his position as executive chairman of BellRing Brands, Post’s active nutrition unit which it spun off and listed in 2019.
Just Food has asked the St Louis Missouri-based group to confirm whether Vitale will also be taking on his former executive chairman role.
“I am grateful to my family, my excellent medical team, my colleagues at Post, and all who have supported me,” Vitale said in a statement. “I am excited and energized about what we will accomplish in 2024 and beyond.”
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By GlobalData
Vitale was appointed as CEO of Post Holdings in 2014 after holding a CFO position at the company since 2011.
He replaced William Stiritz who had been chairman and CEO since the company separated from Ralcorp Holdings in 2012.
Post owns a range of cereal and pet food under its consumer brands arm, including Grape Nuts and Nature’s Recipe. The group has also managed Weetabix since 2017.
The news of Vitale’s return comes days before Post intends to release its results for the first quarter fiscal year 2024 on 2 February.
In its fourth-quarter results for the three months ended 30 September, the company booked net sales of $1.9bn, a $300m boost year-on-year.
Operating profit sat at $153m, a 16% increase compared to the prior year period, while it recorded adjusted EBITDA of $349m, a 24.8% hike on the period in 2022.
In its forecast for fiscal year 2024, Post said it expected adjusted EBITDA to sit between $1.2bn and $1.26bn.
The group made a number of acquisitions in 2023, including the purchase of Californian Perfection Pet Foods for $235m in October.
Last February, Post also announced the purchase of six pet food brands from the US manufacturer J.M. Smucker in February in a deal worth around $1.2bn.
