CHICAGO — Abby Blunt has been named strategic adviser for government and ESG affairs and adviser to the board at Kraft Heinz Co., a part-time role that will allow her to focus on the two corporate boards she has recently been asked to join, while still supporting Kraft Heinz initiatives.
A 20-year veteran of Kraft Heinz, Ms. Blunt most recently led Kraft Heinz’s Washington-based global government affairs team since 2012. In that role, she has led the company through significant milestones, including the drafting and implementation of new labeling laws in the United States related to the disclosure of GMOs, advocating for the most significant changes to the US tax code in more than a decade, driving the tariff exemption process in support of Kraft Heinz products, ingredients and packaging, and providing valuable government affairs support to the company’s facilities around the world. She also spearheaded the company’s first Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event in Washington.
Ms. Blunt also recently spent the past 18 months as a member of the Kraft Heinz COVID-19 Global Task Force.
Succeeding Ms. Blunt as vice president of global head of government affairs is Bill Behrens. Mr. Behrens will oversee the company’s global government affairs team and lead the company's efforts to advocate on critical issues with key policymakers and regulators in the United States and across the globe. He spent the past 10 years at General Electric (GE), most recently as head of federal government affairs and policy.
Before joining GE, he worked as a special assistant to the president at the White House and a senior adviser in the US State Department.