Richard (Rick) Searer

Richard (Rick) Searer is an adjunct professor with the Wisconsin School of Business and President, Kraft North America, Kraft Foods Inc., with responsibility for strategic direction, management and coordination of Kraft’s businesses in the United States and Canada.

Prior to this appointment, Rick was Group Vice President and President of Kraft’s North American Convenient Meals Sector, where his responsibilities included the Oscar Mayer Division, the Kraft Pizza Division, the Kraft Meals Division, Boca Foods and Back To Nature. Rick was named to this position in 2004.

Rick joined General Foods in 1981 as an Assistant Product Manager in the Maxwell House Division. In 1983, he became a Product Manager for Oscar Mayer and in 1986 became Group Brand Manager of Kraft cheese. Three years later, Rick was promoted to Marketing Manager for Louis Rich and Oscar Mayer.

In 1991 he became Vice President of Marketing for Oscar Mayer followed by a move to Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Products later the same year. He was named Executive Vice President, Category Sales Management in 1995 and President of the Oscar Mayer Foods Division in August 1996. In December 1998, Rick became Executive Vice President of Kraft Foods Inc. and President of the Oscar Mayer and Pizza Divisions. Rick was named Group Vice President, Kraft Foods North America, and President of the Oscar Mayer, Pizza and Food Service Group in September 2000. In this role, Rick was responsible for such brands as Oscar Mayer, Claussen, Louis Rich, Lunchables, Di Giorno, Tombstone and Jack’s, as well as Boca Foods.

Rick received a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Penn State University, a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration (with highest honors) in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University’s J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Undergraduate Courses

Contemporary Topics (BUS 365 Section 1), Spring 2010.