Company

Leadership biographies

Kendall J. Powell*

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer

Ken Powell is chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills, which as the world’s sixth-largest food company produces and markets leading brands such as Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Green Giant, Nature Valley and more.

Education Harvard, bachelor's degree, 1976 Stanford, MBA,1979 Boards Cereal Partners Worldwide Consumer Good Forum Grocery Manufacturers of America Medtronic Minnesota Business Partnership (president) Minnesota Early Learning Foundation Twin Cities United Way

Powell joined General Mills in 1979 and progressed through a variety of positions in the company. He has spent more than a third of his career overseas, and in 1990 helped launch Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) – the company’s joint venture with Nestlé based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In 1996, he returned to the United States to become president of Yoplait USA, and was named president of the General Mills Big G cereal division in 1997.

Powell returned to Switzerland in 1999 to become chief executive officer of CPW, helping grow the joint venture into what is now a $2 billion global cereal business marketing in more than 130 countries around the world.

In 2006, Powell was elected president and chief operating officer of General Mills with overall global operating responsibility for the company. He was elected chief executive officer in September 2007 and chairman in May 2008.

General Mills is regularly listed among the world’s leading businesses. In 2011, for example, General Mills was once again named to Fortune magazine’s annual list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

In 2010, the company was named to Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies” Hall of Fame, and was included in the Financial Times’ listing of the “United Kingdom’s 50 Best Workplaces,” and The Great Place to Work Institute’s “2010 Best Workplaces in Canada.”

* member of senior leadership team

 

Kendall J. Powell
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer

Mark W. Addicks
Senior Vice President; Chief Marketing Officer

Richard L. Best
Senior Vice President, Global Business Solutions

Y. Marc Belton
Executive Vice President, Global Strategy, Growth and Marketing Innovation

Peter J. Capell
Senior Vice President, Wholesome Snacks

Gary Chu
Senior Vice President; President, Greater China

Juliana L. Chugg
Senior Vice President; President, Meals

John Church
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain

Michael L. Davis
Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources

David E. Dudick Sr.
Senior Vice President; President, U.S. Channels Sales

Peter Erickson
Senior Vice President, Innovation, Technology and Quality

Ian R. Friendly
Executive Vice President; Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Retail

Jeffrey L. Harmening
Senior Vice President; President, Big G cereals

David P. Homer
Senior Vice President; President, General Mills Canada

Jerry Lynch
Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer

John T. Machuzick
Senior Vice President; President, Bakeries & Foodservice

Luis Gabriel Merizalde
Vice President; President, Europe, Middle East and Africa

Michele S. Meyer
Vice President; President, Small Planet Foods

Donal L. Mulligan
Executive Vice President; Chief Financial Officer

James H. Murphy
Senior Vice President; Global Strategy and Growth

Kimberly A. Nelson
Senior Vice President, External Relations; President, General Mills Foundation

Jonathon J. Nudi
Vice President; President, Snacks

Rebecca L. O'Grady
Vice President; President, Yoplait

Shawn P. O'Grady
Senior Vice President; President Consumer Foods Sales

Christopher D. O'Leary
Executive Vice President; Chief Operating Officer, International

Roderick A. Palmore
Executive Vice President; General Counsel; Chief Compliance and Risk Management Officer, and Secretary

Ann W.H. Simonds
Senior Vice President; President, Pillsbury USA

Vijay K. Sood
Vice President; Executive Director, India

Christi L. Strauss
Senior Vice President; Chief Executive Officer, Cereal Partners Worldwide

Anton Vincent
Vice President; President, Baking Products

Sean N. Walker
Vice President; President, Latin America and South Africa

Keith A. Woodward
Senior Vice President; Financial Operations

Jerry Young
Vice President, Controller

Mike Zechmeister
Vice President, Treasurer