New York — The Topps Co. has appointed Michael Brandstaedter chief operational officer.

Brandstaedter already heads the company's worldwide confectionery division as vice-president — general manager global confectionery for Bazooka Candy Brands, a position he has held since joining Topps in 2009. He will assume COO responsibilities as well as maintain his position with Bazooka, the company says. He will continue to report to Ryan O'Hara, Topps president and CEO.

O'Hara says: “Mike brings a special blend of marketing and management skills as well as a real focus on enhancing innovation to this role. He has done a terrific job expanding our confectionery businesses and is the ideal person to help me and the rest of our teams as we continue to build and transform this one-of-a-kind company.”