Raymond Viault has a distinguished track record in the food industry, coming from one of the largest North American food retailers Safeway.
He has also served as vice chairman of US group General Mills and presided over the group's integration with another food heavy weight, Pillsbury.
The new Board member has also held positions at Kraft Foods European, Middle East and African businesses as well as Jacob Suchard AG.
Cadbury chairman John Sunderland said: "I am very pleased that Ray is joining our board. We look forward to working with him and benefiting from his extensive international experience in confectionery, food and consumer products companies."
The appointment comes at an uncertain time for the company as it waits to discover whether it will be prosecuted in the UK for failing to disclose salmonella contamination in over a million products.
In its annual results announced last month, the confectioner estimated loss from the recall of affected products would cost the company £20m (€29.3m) but that figure would almost certainly rise if prosecution was brought by Herefordshire Council who are seeking to bring legal proceedings against the chocolate-maker.