Mondelez CEO Defends Continued Operations in Russia Amid Criticism
The head of the Cadbury owner cited the impact on local employees and farmers as reasons for not exiting the Russian market.
The chief executive of Mondelez International, the owner of Cadbury, has defended the company's decision to continue trading in Russia, a move that has drawn criticism from those advocating for Western companies to leave the country following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelez, stated that exiting the Russian market would have resulted in job losses for approximately 3,000 employees and around 10,000 farmers.
"It's not an easy decision," Van de Put told the BBC. "Can we be criticized for that? Yes. We pay taxes in Russia that helps the war. I'm not pleased about that."
Mondelez has faced scrutiny for maintaining its presence in Russia, a decision contrasted with the withdrawal of many other Western corporations. The company has reported significant sales revenue from its Russian operations since the conflict began. Van de Put suggested that governments are increasingly attempting to leverage companies as tools of foreign policy, referencing the restrictions placed on U.S. firms doing business in China as an example of such governmental influence.