DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Sally Grimes will become chief innovation officer for Hillshire Brands after its spin-off from the Sara Lee Corp. and the company’s International Coffee and Tea business is complete. Ms. Grimes will have responsibility for Hillshire’s innovation process, including identifying strategies, business opportunities and new technologies and then developing new capabilities with partners, new business models and new industry structures to serve those opportunities.

She will join Hillshire Brands on July 9, and report to Sean Connolly, chief executive officer, Hillshire Brands Co.

Most recently, Grimes was global vice-president, marketing, writing and creative expression at Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. She was responsible for implementing marketing planning and filling the innovation pipeline for the Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo, Prismacolor and Rolodex brands.

Before joining Newell Rubbermaid, Grimes spent 10 years at Kraft Foods Inc. in a variety of marketing and brand management positions, rising from associate brand manager to senior category business director.