General Foods, Kraft, Pepisco Shuffle Four Top Executives

In a food-and-beverage-industry version of the domino theory, a high-level executive change at Philip Morris Cos.’ General Foods division has led to similar changes at Kraft General Foods, as well as Pepsico Inc. and its Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. subsidiary.

Miles L. Marsh, who served as president of General Foods USA, will move to Whitman Corp. Sept. 1 as president and chief operating officer, according to the company. He will oversee all of Chicago-based Whitman’s subsidiaries, including food maker Pet Inc., Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers, Hussmann Corp. and Midas International.

Marsh will be succeeded at General Foods USA by Richard P. Mayer, former chairman and chief executive of Pepsico’s Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. At the same time, James M. Kilts has been named president of Kraft General Foods’ Kraft USA unit.

A Former Consultant

Mayer will be replaced at Kentucky Fried Chicken by John M. Cranor III, a top Pepsico executive. Cranor, formerly president of Pespi-Cola East, has been appointed president and chief executive of Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is the world’s second-largest quick service restaurant system, with about 8,000 restaurants generating sales of nearly $6 billion. It was acquired by PepsiCo in October, 1986.

Marsh previously served as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. and later spent eight years with Dart & Kraft in the United States and London. He was named president of Kraft International in 1985 and later was appointed president of the Operations and Technology Group of Kraft, based in suburban Glenview.

It is hoped that his presence at Whitman will strengthen the company’s focus on consumer goods and services, the company said.