Maker of Mentos, Airheads getting presented with international award

ERLANGER, Ky. - Top executives from Herrmann International will present a local candy company with the Organizational Learning Award Monday.

Perfetti Van Melle , which makes Mentos, Airhead and more, will receive the award for their innovative thinking.

Herrmann International presents this award to companies that have embraced the “Whole Brain Thinking” approach and made it part of their culture.  As a result of Whole Brain Thinking, these companies have experienced an improvement in their business results and their interactions with their employees, their customers and their suppliers.

Recent winners have been IBM, Microsoft and Telecom New Zealand.

The award will be presented by Herrmann International CEO, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, to three of Perfetti Van Melle’s top executives: Ronald Korenhof, General Manager/President, Brenda Gumbs, Executive Vice President of Human Resources & Communications and Ralph Chauvin, Vice President of Sales. 

Perfetti Van Melle has spent the last two years implementing the Whole Brain Thinking framework, which includes the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument thinking styles assessment and other learning and business tools that can be embedded into everyday operations. The company is being recognized for turning Whole Brain Thinking into a way of doing business.

“Thinking drives behavior, so when organizations can build the thinking skills of their employees and apply the Whole Brain concept in every aspect of the business, like Perfetti Van Melle has done, they will get better results across the board—from sales to teamwork to leadership,” Herrmann-Nehdi explained.

Perfetti Van Melle USA is headquartered in Erlanger, Ky., where it produces and/or distributes Airheads, Airheads Xtremes, Mentos and Mentos gum.  The company is part of the Perfetti Van Melle Group, a privately-owned international manufacturer and marketer of sugar confectionery and chewing gum. The company is the third largest producer of confectionery and gum, and sells its many brands, including Mentos, Frisk mints, and Fruittella in more than 150 countries.