July 23/Oak Brook, Ill./PRNewswire -- TreeHouse Foods announced a new alignment of its executive leadership with the hiring of Christopher D. Sliva to the newly created position of chief operating officer of its Bay Valley Foods operating unit and senior vice president of TreeHouse Foods. Sliva joins the company from Dean Foods where was chief commercial officer of Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar.  In his new role at TreeHouse, Sliva will work closely with Bay Valley Food president Harry J. Walsh and report directly to chairman, president and chief executive officer Sam K. Reed. He will be based at corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

"The rapid growth and increased complexity of our company requires a new alignment of our executive leadership," Reed said. "Chris Sliva is highly qualified for the COO role. For the past six years, he has been a key member of the Executive Leadership Team of Dean Foods, the parent from which TreeHouse Foods was spun off in 2005." Prior to being named chief commercial officer for Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar in 2010, Sliva was chief customer officer for Dean's White Wave Foods division and president and chief operating officer for the Morningstar division. His successful career in consumer packaged goods also includes positions at Eastman Kodak, Fort James Corporation and Procter & Gamble.  Sliva holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.