Chocolate and pet food manufacturer Mars Wrigley has announced the appointment of Marc Carena as new regional president for Europe, CIS and Turkey.

Carena joins Mars Wrigley from McDonald’s Russia, where he has spent almost four years as managing director. In this role he maintained full responsibility for the Russian market, including over 850 restaurants and 65,000 employees. Prior to this, Carena served as McDonald’s corporate vice president international lead markets covering Germany, France, UK and Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The regional president position was previously held for six years by Shaid Shah, who is now serving as Mars Wrigley’s global president of food, multisales and global customers.

Commenting on his appointment, Carena said: “I’m humbled to be joining a team that has such passion and energy, and a company which has already built a legacy of pioneering innovation and a leading portfolio of household brands. It is a dynamic period of growth for the region, and I am excited about advancing this industry-leading work with our talented associates across our entire regional portfolio.”

Andrew Clarke, global president of Mars Wrigley, said of the appointment: “Marc is a much-welcomed addition to the Mars Wrigley leadership team. He brings a wealth of industry expertise and has a proven track record of dynamic and enthusiastic leadership, building talented teams and delivering results across diverse markets.”