Ken Powell named Chief Executive Officer of General Mills; Steve Sanger continues as Chairman
09/24/2007
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.---General Mills (NYSE: GIS) said today that its board of directors has elected Kendall J. Powell Chief Executive Officer of the company. Powell, age 53, joined the company in 1979 and was most recently President and Chief Operating Officer. He succeeds
“The board and I have great confidence that Ken will be an outstanding chief executive officer of General Mills,” said Sanger. “He has extensive knowledge of our global food categories, our customers and our worldwide operations. This deep-seated understanding of our business, coupled with Ken’s commitment to our culture and the development of our people, make him uniquely qualified to lead General Mills in the next phase of our long-term growth.”
Powell has held a variety of general management assignments over his 28-year career with General Mills, including President of the Yoplait Division from 1996 to 1997; President of Big G cereals from 1997 to 1999; and Chief Executive Officer of the company’s Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) joint venture with Nestlé based in
In comments to shareholders attending General Mills’ 79th annual meeting held today in
“It has been a great privilege for me to serve as Chief Executive Officer of General Mills,” Sanger said, “and I look forward to seeing General Mills continue to grow and prosper in the years ahead.”
About General Mills
General Mills, with annual net sales exceeding $12 billion, is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. Based in Minneapolis, Minn., its global brand portfolio includes Big G cereals such as Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fiber One; Progresso soups; Helper dinner mixes; Yoplait yogurt; Nature Valley granola bars; Pillsbury refrigerated dough; Totino's frozen pizza and snacks; Betty Crocker dessert mixes, Green Giant vegetables, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Old El Paso Mexican foods; and Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen organic foods. General Mills is a leading supplier of food products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries, and sells products in more than 100 international markets around the globe.
Contacts:
(Media) Tom Forsythe (763) 764-6364
Kirstie Foster (763) 764-6364
(Analysts) Kris Wenker (763) 764-2607