Overview
CES Tech Talk podcast, in its sixth season, features interviews with industry experts who bring you an insider’s look at what’s new and trending in the world of consumer electronics, and at CES. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe via your favorite podcast platform to get the latest. Grab a snack while listening to this episode as Doug Martin of General Mills talks tech, and sustainability that retains the flavors of its delicious brands.
General Mills delivers household name cereals, soups, desserts, mixes and even pet food to millions. The company serves customers in more than 100 countries on six continents. In its lines of business, General Mills remains a fierce competitor by keeping ahead of trends, and it does so by embracing technology to quickly innovate and adapt to consumers’ fickle tastes. Moreover, General Mills is deeply engaged in sustainability relative to operations and the sourcing of ingredients. How does this behemoth preserve quality and consumer trust while adapting to its publics’ concerns about climate and good health? The company’s Doug Martin, chief brand and disruptive growth office, explains in episode 23, General Mills Dishes On Tasty Food and Tech, of the CES Tech Talk podcast series.
Takeaways
- General Mills engages in “disruptive growth” through a venture capital arm, 301 INC, that invests in founders transforming the food ecosystem – their challenge is to get new products in front of consumers quickly
- The craveable food that General Mills brings to market has to be immediately available and flawless down to the last snack bar and wrapper – the company’s Doug Martin sees robotics facilitating that level of performance
- General Mills buys more oats than any other company in the world, Martin says, so it works with farmers to better assure yields that preserve the land while providing fair returns to growers
They Said It
"This world that we live in, that's so digitally connected, has really challenged some of our functional silos for a company that's been around a 150 years. So, we're always finding new ways to cross those barriers."
Doug Martin (05:08)
"[T]here is no human security without food security. And what we do at General Mills is, we take agricultural commodities out of the ground. We combine them in really tasty ways, put them in a box and make it convenient for you…And so, one of the things that we're really focused on is regenerative agriculture…General Mills is working on converting a million acres to being farmed regeneratively…in a way that you're putting nutrients, minerals and health back in the soil. And that has to also live within an ecosystem, within a watershed, within an ecosystem of agriculture that supports itself."
Doug Martin (06:02)
General Mills at CES 2023
Teams from General Mills attended CES 2023 to discover, learn and experience the technologies supporting what’s new, and next, for the company’s business and customers. To discover more about the General Mills experience at CES, check out the company’s article on turning inspiration into action.
Doug Martin, Chief Brand and Disruptive Growth Officer, General Mills
As General Mills CMO, Doug is responsible for the future long-term growth of the company through corporate venture capabilities. Since joining General Mills, Doug has held positions of increasing responsibility across the snacks, cereal and dairy operating units. He recently served as president of the North America Dairy operating unit for brands like Yoplait and Liberté. Doug began his career in the retail clothing industry at Lord & Taylor, Salvatore Ferragamo and Gap, Inc., where he led the emerging online business for Old Navy Men's. Doug holds a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.
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