By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oreo cookie-maker Mondelez (NASDAQ:) put new administration in place at its worthwhile Russian enterprise this week, in line with two inside firm memos seen by Reuters that reveal contemporary particulars of a company overhaul in Europe.

After months of boycotts and stress from shareholders and activists to depart Russia, Chicago-based Mondelez stopped promoting within the nation, however has did not exit Russia completely.

In one of many inside memos seen by Reuters, Europe president Vince Gruber knowledgeable workers that it appointed a brand new normal supervisor to steer its Russia enterprise, which Gruber described as a “standalone group.”

However in his new function, the Russia normal supervisor reviews to a different govt who reviews to Gruber, the memo stated. The association might not placate Mondelez critics. The corporate has three factories in Russia and has continued to promote its merchandise together with Milka chocolate there regardless of investor stress and boycotts calling for it to depart.

“Within the legislation we use the expression ‘a distinction with out a distinction.’ That is an tried workaround that’s not very significant,” stated Nell Minow, a company governance knowledgeable and vice chair of ValueEdge Advisors. “There are particular sorts of enterprise connections the place you see a justification, if it has to do with well being, urgently wanted provides. These are cookies and there actually isn’t any excuse.”

In response to Reuters’ questions, Mondelez stated on Friday that “efficient at year-end 2023, we have now stood up our native enterprise to function extra independently.”

It added: “Merchandise offered in Russia at the moment are produced and distributed domestically, with no imports of completed items from Europe into Russia or exports from Russia into Europe.”

Mondelez is scheduled to current on the Shopper Analyst Group of New York convention Tuesday in Boca Raton, Florida.

McDonald’s (NYSE:), Starbucks (NASDAQ:) and plenty of different international manufacturers left Russia following its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022, writing off billions in belongings.

Mondelez rivals together with Maggi producer Nestle proceed to function in Russia. Meals doesn’t fall below any worldwide sanctions.

The corporate stated in its annual report launched in February that the warfare in Ukraine is a danger to its enterprise that might result in lack of life and bodily harm and destruction of its property.

“We’d additionally face questions or unfavourable scrutiny from stakeholders about our operations in Russia regardless of our function as a meals firm and our public statements about Ukraine and Russia,” Mondelez stated within the annual report.

In an organization assertion final 12 months, Mondelez stated its enterprise in Russia supplies “shelf-stable merchandise which can be every day staples for odd folks,” and that suspending operations “would imply reducing off a part of the meals provide for a lot of households who don’t have any say within the warfare.”

Mondelez govt Gruber advised workers in a single memo on Jan. 31 that the corporate would reorganize the European area into 14 “business models” with accountability for smaller areas and particular person nations. On Feb. 13, a separate memo from Gruber knowledgeable workers that Alexey Blinov will turn out to be the brand new Russia normal supervisor. Blinov is a Moscow-based finance govt for Mondelez, in line with LinkedIn.

Europe, the place Mondelez’s Milka and Cadbury chocolate is standard, is the corporate’s largest market by gross sales, but it surely has been at odds with retailers there over worth hikes.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mondelez stated it was scaling again its enterprise in Russia and specializing in “fundamental choices,” however nonetheless confronted inside stress from workers to exit.

A company boycott of Mondelez broke out within the Nordic nations final 12 months after a Ukrainian company named the corporate an “worldwide sponsor of warfare.”

Mondelez stated final June it could make its Russian operations “stand-alone with a self-sufficient provide chain earlier than the tip of the 12 months” however didn’t present further particulars.

Its Russia enterprise is extra worthwhile than it has been traditionally, the corporate stated in its annual report launched earlier this month.

Earlier than the warfare, Mondelez executives in Moscow additionally managed its operations in Ukraine, a supply aware of the construction stated. Its Ukraine enterprise was faraway from Moscow supervision following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the supply stated.