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General Mills Announces Senior Leadership Team Changes

General MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. has announced several changes to its senior leadership team to further advance the company’s enterprise strategy, Accelerate.

  • Jon Nudi is appointed to a new role as group president, pet and international, where he will be accountable for the two largest growth areas for the company. Since 2016, Nudi served as group president, North America retail. Under Nudi’s leadership, NAR significantly accelerated its growth in organic net sales and segment operating profit, while driving consistent market share gains across its priority businesses. Ricardo Fernandez, newly promoted to segment president, international, will report to Nudi, with Fernandez also joining the company’s senior leadership team. Fernandez has served as President, U.S. Morning Foods operating unit, since 2021 where he expanded the company’s leadership in its important U.S. cereal category. Earlier in his career, Fernandez held leadership roles for General Mills businesses in Europe and Latin America.
  • Dana McNabb is promoted to group president, North America retail, General Mills’ largest and most profitable segment. Since 2021, McNabb served as chief strategy and growth officer, where she was responsible for the company’s enterprise growth capabilities. Earlier, McNabb served as group president, Europe & Australia segment, as well as president of the U.S. Cereal operating unit, notably achieving U.S. cereal category leadership for the first time in 15 years and accelerating growth in net sales and operating profit.
  • Bethany Quam is appointed president, U.S. Morning Foods, and will join the NAR leadership team, reporting to McNabb. Since 2019, Quam served as Group President, Pet, and led the segment to double-digit compound annual top and bottom-line growth.
  • Kofi Bruce, chief financial officer, will oversee the Strategy and Growth organization on an interim basis while the company conducts an external search for a new chief strategy and growth Oofficer.

All senior leadership changes are effective Jan. 1.

“We are making these strategic changes to best position General Mills for today’s dynamic landscape,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO. “These moves enable us to best match our deep bench of senior talent to fast-growing and important consumer areas and occasions. I am confident this will help us advance our next chapter in our Accelerate enterprise strategy.”

In addition, the company also announced that Sean Walker, who  serves as group president, international, will retire after more than three decades of service, effective Feb. 28.

“I also want to recognize the impact Sean Walker has had across our business and culture,” Harmening said. “Sean identified big bets for our International business and has been instrumental in our most recent launch of Blue Buffalo in China. For more than three decades, Sean has been a positive driving force at the company, and we wish him nothing but the best as he starts a new and exciting chapter in life.”

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Impossible Beef Hot Dogs to Debut for 1 Day Only in NYC

On Saturday, Dec. 16, Impossible Foods will debut an exclusive sneak preview of its latest meat-from-plants innovation – all-new Impossible Beef Hot Dogs – available for one day only in New York City.

As hungry holiday shoppers descend on Midtown Manhattan in search of the perfect gifts, Impossible will be serving up a gift of its own: free Impossible Hot Dogs on Dec. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Impossible fans can tune into the brand’s Instagram page for the address drop in the days leading up to the event.

The giveaway marks the first taste of Impossible’s newest product, which promises a fresh but familiar take on the classic American hot dog and is set to launch in restaurants and grocery stores next year. The juicy, savory links offer a similar cooking and sensory experience to traditional animal beef hot dogs, but are made with high-quality ingredients derived from plants.

Impossible Hot Dogs outperform the animal on several key nutritional metrics: they contain 50% less total and saturated fat than a leading brand of animal beef hot dog served in restaurants, in addition to featuring a whopping 12 grams protein (versus 6 grams) and 0 milligrams cholesterol.2 Unlike most animal-based hot dogs, the franks also contain no added or synthetic nitrates or nitrites, instead using only those naturally occurring in cultured celery powder.

“Hot dogs are an undeniably classic part of American culture and not to mention, they’re a burger’s best friend. It’s long been a priority to add them to our product portfolio,” said Peter McGuinness, CEO and President of Impossible Foods. “Our adaptation replicates that quintessential hot dog taste, while offering consumers a nutrient-dense product that’s better for the planet. We want people to see that there’s really no compromise when you choose Impossible products. It’s as easy as throwing an Impossible Hot Dog on the grill – right next to an Impossible Burger.”

The craveworthy, nostalgia-inducing hot dogs cook up just like their animal beef counterparts and are primed for a variety of delicious toppings – from classic condiments like ketchup or mustard, to plant-based Impossible Beef Chili. And because they’re made from plants, Impossible Hot Dogs account for 84 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, 77% less water and 83 percent less land than an animal beef hot dog.

Impossible Hot Dogs mark the seventh new product to be released by Impossible in the last 12 months. Earlier this year, the company doubled-down on its beef-from-plants portfolio with the Impossible Indulgent Burger – a gourmet patty that recently rolled out across Ruby Tuesdays nationwide – and Impossible Beef Lite – a heart-healthy, plant-based take on lean beef. Impossible also expanded its chicken-from-plants portfolio with new offerings like Impossible Spicy Chicken Nuggets & Patties and Impossible Chicken Tenders. Meanwhile, its flagship Impossible Beef product remains the top-selling plant-based meat product in the United States by dollar sales and volume, across both the retail and foodservice sectors, and its Impossible Meatballs are the #1 best-selling plant-based meatball in the United States.

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Taco Bell SOS Kit Rolls Out for College Finals Season

As finals season begins across college campuses nationwide, thousands of students find themselves without a Taco Bell restaurant within walking distance – leaving them in distress when study session cravings hit. Taco Bell at Home comes to the rescue with the new “Taco Bell SOS Kit,” designed to give students on these campuses the mouthwatering Taco Bell goodness they are craving, even without a restaurant nearby. The kit features the newest Taco Bell at Home essentials from Kraft Heinz for students to recreate fan-favorite menu items.

Each kit contains a wide variety of Taco Bell at Home products, including new Mild and Hot Flavored Crunchy Taco Shells, fan-favorite Mild, Hot, Fire and Diablo sauces, and Original and Fajita seasoning packets. Kits will be delivered straight to students’ doors, courtesy of Amazon, while supplies last. Just add a protein and/or veggies and enjoy delicious Taco Bell from the comfort of the dorm.

But it wouldn’t be dorm life if students weren’t eating in bed, and with over two million views, Taco Bell in bed seems to be the obvious choice. To give students the opportunity to enjoy their craveable Taco Bell at Home creations from the comfort of their beds while preventing spills, drips, and crumbs from staining their bedding, the kit also features a never-before-seen, exclusive spill- and stain-resistant TwinXL-sized bedsheet. Simply lay the sheet over the bedding, get comfortable, and dig in.

“The Kraft Heinz Company and Taco Bell created the Taco Bell at Home line to bring the beloved and signature sauces, shells, seasonings and more from the most popular Taco Bell menu items straight to your home,” said Megan Lang, director of brand communications for Taco Bell at Home. “Our goal is to give fans the opportunity to satisfy their Taco Bell cravings anywhere, anytime, even if there is not a restaurant location nearby – including the students who suffer from the misfortune of a Taco Bell-less campus as they prepare for final exams.”

Students across the country can purchase their own kit for $7.99 on TacoBellSOS.com and rest easy knowing their craving satisfaction is on the way. Those unable to get their hands on a kit can still enjoy delicious at-home creations by trying the full lineup of Taco Bell at Home products, available at major retailers nationwide.

“We have such an amazing fan base – their love and devotion to the brand is unmatched,” says Katie Taylor, senior director of U.S. brand marketing at Taco Bell. “We are thrilled that the SOS Kits and Taco Bell at Home will help bring some much-needed Taco Bell goodness to the students asking for new locations near their campuses.”

To learn more and flaunt your Taco Bell at Home finals season survival kit on social media, follow and tag @tacobell and @kraftheinzus on Instagram and @tacobell and @hereatkraftheinz on TikTok.

TACO BELL is a registered trademark owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

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