Our confectionery business is organized into four business segments which we call regions, and six global functions: Supply Chain Management Assignment, UCD, Ireland

Our confectionery business is organized into four business segments which we call regions, and six global functions. Each region is focused on commercial operations in its geographical and product area, and also maintains teams from each of the six functions.

The four regions are Britain, Ireland, the Middle East, and Africa Europe; the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. On 15 March 2007, we announced that we intended to separate our Americas Beverages and confectionery businesses, and this process is currently underway. The functions are Global Supply Chain, Global Commercial, Science & Technology, Human Resources, Finance and Information Technology, and Legal and Secretariat.

Each function has a small central team and regional presences which are coordinated by the central team. The role of the Global Supply Chain is to ensure the reliable supply of products to satisfy our customers’ expectations whether manufactured by us or by a third party.

Supply Chain’s role encompasses sourcing of ingredients and packaging materials, planning, manufacturing, distribution, and customer services. The function is responsible for managing the fixed assets of nearly 100 manufacturing facilities and over 250 warehouses.

Supply Chain is structured to enable shared accountability at the regional level for results and strategy execution day-to-day while ensuring that cross religion and step-change supply opportunities are pursued at the functional level. The function is led centrally by the President, Global Supply Chain, supported by the four regional heads of the supply chain.

Key functional activities are managed centrally and operate on a global basis. They are focused on Technology and Manufacturing Development; Logistics and Customer Operations; Quality, Environment, Health and Safety; Procurement, and Ethical Sourcing.

This structure enables us to focus on delivering our commercial agenda and top-line growth and allows the functions to develop and drive global strategies and processes towards best-in-class performance while remaining closely aligned to the regions’ commercial interests.