Food Marketing Institute recognized Campbell Soup Co. president and CEO Denise Morrison for her exemplary contributions to the food retail supply chain with the FMI William H. Albers Industry Relations Award.
Morrison received the honor at FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference in Phoenix.
Joining Campbell in 2003 as president of global sales and chief customer officer, Morrison rapidly expanded her role within the company to president of Campbell USA, then as president of the company’s North American business to EVP and COO in 2010. Notably, she has devoted more than a decade ensuring that Campbell evolves its business, company and culture to strengthen its long-term growth trajectory in a changing consumer and retail landscape.
At Campbell, Morrison continues to invest in ideation by establishing innovation teams to focus their energies on developing new products. These teams were responsible for the introduction of skillet and slow-cooker sauces, products that offered a twist on mealtime solutions.
She also demonstrated her commitment to reshape Campbell’s product portfolio through a series of strategic acquisitions. The first, a $1.55 billion acquisition of Bolthouse Farms, helped Campbell tap into “packaged fresh,” a $12 billion segment that’s growing at 6% per year. Campbell is also now poised to serve the next generation of consumers with the purchase of Plum Organics, a baby food company. Finally, this year, Campbell purchased a multinational baking and snack company, Kelsen Group, which expanded Campbell’s footprint into emerging, global markets.
Morrison has a long career in the food industry. Her extensive food business experience includes Kraft Foods' Snacks and Confections divisions, Nabisco, Nestlé and PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble.
Longtime friend, former colleague and executive chairman at Acosta Sales & Marketing, Gary Chartrand, celebrated Morrison’s achievement in a video testimonial saying, “If you can get people to put their hearts and minds together to accomplish a common goal with the right inspiration and leadership, you can accomplish just about anything you want and I think Denise has exemplified that over the years. Every place she’s been, she’s been able to build that culture; she has the ability to connect the people, and I think that’s really important in leadership.”
Chartrand continued, “[Denise has] been able to connect the dots between her company and FMI and the retailers and wholesalers and the sales agents and just build great relationships.”
Morrison is a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an initiative of manufacturers and retailers to combat obesity in the marketplace, workplace, and schools. She also serves on the board of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, where she chairs its Health and Wellness Committee. Morrison was named as a vice co-chair of the Consumer Goods Forum in 2013 and serves on the organization’s board. She was named to President Barack Obama’s Export Council in 2012.
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