Irene B. Rosenfeld, PhD '80, has been appointed chief executive officer, effective immediately, of Kraft Foods. Rosenfeld was most recently chairman and chief executive officer of Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo.

"The entire Board is delighted to have Irene in place. While the fundamentals of the business continue to improve, we are confident that Irene will accelerate the execution of Kraft's growth strategy, build value for shareholders, and lead Kraft when it becomes a fully independent company," said Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman of the Board of Kraft Foods.

"I am deeply honored to lead Kraft in the years ahead," said Rosenfeld. "I genuinely love this company, its brands, its people, and its values. I believe that we have a very bright future ahead of us and look forward to working with the board and our management team to assure Kraft's leadership in the food and beverage industry."

Prior to joining Frito-Lay in 2004, Rosenfeld spent more than 20 years with Kraft and General Foods. She held a number of key management positions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, culminating in her appointment as president of Kraft's North American business. Among her many accomplishments at Kraft, Rosenfeld led the highly successful integration of the $19 billion Nabisco acquisition as well as the restructuring and turnaround of a number of key businesses. Rosenfeld holds a PhD in Marketing and Statistics (1980), an MS in Business (1977) and a BA in Psychology (1975) from Cornell University. She currently serves on its Board of Trustees.

Anupendra Sharma, MBA '98, has been appointed investment partner at Siemens Venture Capital in Boston. Sharma will be responsible for investing in medical-related, early stage ventures through SVC's Medical Solutions Fund. Siemens Venture Capital is one of the world's largest corporate venture capital firms with approx. $1 billion under management, with offices in United States, Germany, China, and Israel.

John Wirth, MBA '98, currently serves as chief marketing officer and member of the board of Hild Asset, a niche-market consumer finance company headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. As the company's founder, Wirth authored the business plan, grew the company from concept to full operational capability, and led the closing of a Deutsche Bank-led financing-one of Hungary's largest Series A investments to date.

Prior to founding Hild, Wirth was a USAID Country Economic Advisor, helping fast-growth Croatian startups manage regional expansion, capability development, and fund raising. As a venture manager with GorillaPark, Europe's leading technology incubator and seed-stage investor, he assessed investment opportunities and worked hands-on with multiple early-stage technology companies. While specializing in corporate venturing as a manager with Andersen Consulting's Strategic Services Practice, he co-authored the business plans and launch strategies for Fortune 500 company-initiated ventures, including successes Silent Runner and Exostar.