Gelchie will rejoin the company, where he previously worked for 20 years from 1990, on July 29 and will be based in Wilton, Connecticut in the United States, the sources said.

He will replace as coffee head Markus Reis, who is to become head of wheat at LDC, the sources said.

Gelchie will be part of LDC's executive committee.

A company spokeswoman declined to comment.

LDC is one of the world's largest agricultural commodity merchants and is controlled by Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.

Gelchie was most recently a trading director at Sucden Americas Corp., another commodities merchant.

He also previously worked as a senior manager at Sierentz North America, a commodity firm owned by other members of the Louis-Dreyfus family.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt in London and Gus Trompiz in Paris; Editing by GV De Clercq and David Evans)