WASHINGTON, DC—Perry Yeatman, for the past seven years head of global corporate and government affairs at Kraft Foods, will leave the company when it splits into two separate entities at the end of the year, the Holmes Report can reveal.

Yeatman, who relocated from the company’s Chicago headquarters in 2010, had been based in Washington, DC, where she spearheaded the company’s external affairs activities and served as the president of the Kraft Foods Foundation.

Yeatman’s contributions at Kraft included leading the team that created the company’s current brand identity and values to spearheading communications around the acquisition of UK confectionary giant Cadbury. She also helped to create the company’s the first Delicious Difference Week—a global community service initiative—and helped the company become an active participant at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

She says she will turn her attention to new challenges later in the year, but is currently focused on ensuring a smooth transition.

"It's been a privilege and a pleasure to be with Kraft Foods for the past seven years,” says Yeatman. “During that time we've faced and successfully managed nearly every major challenge any corporate and government affairs team could. I regret that I will no longer be part of this wonderful team once the company splits. But I just couldn't ask my family to relocate back to Chicago at this time so I've chosen to leave.

“Thankfully, we have a depth of talent within Kraft and have been able to fill the top jobs for both new companies with outstanding internal candidates."

Nancy Daigler, currently senior vice president of business unit corporate affairs, will head corporate and government affairs for the grocery business; Ernest Duplessis, who joined Kraft in 2010 from Granger and currently serves as vice president of corporate communications, will have the same role at the snack business.

Prior to Kraft, Yeatman was vice president of corporate affairs at Unilever North America and worked on the agency side at Burson-Marsteller and Shandwick.