Bernard Kreilmann

Chief Executive Officer Eagle Foods

Last Reviewed: September 27, 2026

Executive Summary

Bernard Kreilmann is Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Foods, the Cleveland, Ohio branded food company owned by private equity firm Kelso & Company. He became a partner in the business in 2019 and leads its expansion strategy, which the company describes as a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. Its portfolio spans canned milk and baking brands such as Eagle Brand, Magnolia, PET and Milnot, popcorn and snacks under G.H. Cretors and Popcorn Indiana, and the Hamburger Helper and Suddenly! meal brands it bought from General Mills in 2022. He came to Eagle Foods after more than two decades in food industry leadership, including as chief executive of Ajinomoto’s frozen food business and of Ferrero USA.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Foods and a partner in the company since 2019.
• Led the agreement announced in May 2022 to acquire General Mills’ Helper main meals and Suddenly Salad side dish businesses for approximately $610 million.
• Named as an executive officer and director of Eagle Family Foods Group Holdings, LLC in its July 2022 SEC Form D.
• Previously CEO and President of Ajinomoto’s specialty frozen food business, where Eagle Foods says he drove a major manufacturing transformation.
• As CEO of Ferrero USA, led the U.S. launch of Nutella.
• Earlier served as President and General Manager, North America, for United Biscuits.

Professional Journey

Kreilmann has spent his whole career in the food industry. His earlier roles include President and General Manager for North America at United Biscuits, the British biscuit maker, and Chief Executive of Ferrero USA, the American arm of the Italian confectioner, where Eagle Foods credits him with leading the U.S. launch of Nutella. He then ran Ajinomoto’s specialty and ethnic frozen food business, described as a business of more than $1 billion in revenue, as CEO and President for over three years, and Eagle Foods says he drove a major manufacturing transformation there.

He joined Eagle Foods as a partner in 2019. The company had been formed in December 2015, when Kelso & Company backed the purchase of the Eagle Brand condensed milk business from The J.M. Smucker Company; the canned milk brands it acquired then produced about $200 million in annual net sales. It added the G.H. Cretors popcorn brand in 2016 and is headquartered in Cleveland.

As chief executive, Kreilmann has pursued the acquisition-led strategy the company was built for. In May 2022 General Mills agreed to sell its Helper main meals and Suddenly Salad side dishes businesses to Eagle Family Foods Group for approximately $610 million, adding a meals and sides platform to Eagle’s existing snacks and baking businesses. “We are builders of brands, categories and people,” he said at the time, describing the brands as “a perfect fit for what Eagle does best – investing in, innovating and revitalising brands to drive growth.” The company’s July 2022 Form D names him as an executive officer and director of the holding company alongside Kelso & Company principals.

In October 2025, as Eagle Foods marked its tenth year, he summarised the approach: “From day one, we set out to grow by focusing on what matters most — brand innovation, consumer relevance, retailer partnerships and our people.”

Education

No education record was found in any first-party or press source reviewed.