Strauss : Itai Englander appointed CEO of Strauss Israel’s Confectionery Division

Eyal Dror, CEO of Strauss Israel: 'Itai, who has filled a diverse range of senior executive positions in Strauss Israel, is bringing a strong combination of leadership skills, experience and a profound knowledge of the category. These qualities are vital in order to tackle the challenges posed by the competition, as well as the challenge of adapting the category's value propositions to growing consumer awareness of health and a balanced diet, and I am convinced that he is the right person to lead the continued development of the confectionery category in alignment with consumer expectations and the market challenges of the future.'

Itai, who holds a BA in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Technion and an MBA from Tel Aviv University, is married and the father of two daughters, and lives in Zikhron Ya'akov. He joined Strauss 23 years ago, starting out as a project manager in the Logistics Division. He subsequently filled a series of key positions in logistics and operations, and with the establishment of the Operations Division in Israel he was appointed manager of the Fun & Indulgence operations activity and later promoted to the position of VP Operations in Strauss Israel.

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In the past two and a half years in which Itai headed the Fresh Foods Division, the division succeeded in firmly establishing the Achla brand's status and in strengthening it as market leader versus Osem's Tsabar brand. In fact, Achla is the only brand in the category to have achieved growth. Strauss's salads category closed out 2017 with 37.7% market share (Tsabar's market share is 34.4%), and sales increased by 7% in value terms and 7.5% in volume. The division also continued to apply significant quality assurance and innovation initiatives including the launch of preservative-free hummus, the triple quality seal to restore trust in the category, expansion of the range of fresh vegetables, and building infrastructure for expanding consumption opportunities.

Itai will assume the position of CEO of the Confectionery Division in February 2018. Strauss will shortly be embarking on the process of locating a substitute chief executive officer for the Fresh Foods Division.