Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. today announced that Brian Kelley will become president and CEO and a member of the board of directors effective December 3. Kelley will succeed GMCR's current president and CEO, Lawrence Blanford, who in February shared his plans to retire from the company and, since, has been working with the company's board to identify a successor.

According to Green Mountain, Kelley’s appointment signals GMCR's intent to build upon its well-established expertise in single-serve beverages and to leverage its consumer brands, Keurig and Green Mountain Coffee.

"GMCR is a company with strong character and compelling purpose, coupled with strong brands and products about which consumers are passionate," said Kelley. “With its truly disruptive Keurig brewing technology, GMCR's accomplished something unique in the world of consumer products: it is changing consumer behavior by changing the way we brew and enjoy coffee. I look forward to working with its dedicated employees to drive continued growth and to deliver new innovations."

Kelley was named president of Coca-Cola Refreshments in September 2012. Coca-Cola Refreshments is The Coca-Cola Co.'s North America business unit with 68,000 employees. Kelley has been chief product supply officer, Coca Cola Refreshments since October, 2010. In his prior role as president of North America Business Integration, he led the total integration of the acquisition of the North American assets of Coca-Cola Enterprises, combining Coca-Cola North America and Coca-Cola Enterprises' North American operations into a new company, Coca-Cola Refreshments.

"With leading consumer brands, compelling distribution and relationships, and an ongoing commitment to funding innovation to leverage its single-serve expertise, we knew that GMCR's next leader had to possess a strong combination of operational expertise, consumer product and brand experience, and strategic insight," said Michael Mardy, interim chairman of Green Mountain's board. "The board of directors conducted a thorough and robust search process which produced this outstanding leader, who is ideally suited to lead GMCR as the company continues to grow and evolve."

Blanford has been president and CEO of GMCR since assuming the role from the company's founder, Bob Stiller, in 2007.