Leading the Way

I was fortunate to meet with, interview and even "hang out" with some excellent business leaders over past month. I went to Vegas to attend the very first joint meeting of the CGT and RIS News (our sister publication) Editorial Advisory Boards. Incidentally, it snowed for about five minutes and I thought maybe it was just one of those showy Vegas tricks, but no, they were real flakes.

 

Anyway, it was great to sit around a table with leaders from both sides of the industry and hear a very lively and open conversation about the challenges faced -- many of them common -- including bringing products to market, data sync, trade, connecting with the consumer and more.We talk about collaboration a lot and how retail and manufacturers can do better on this front. CGT believes meetings such as this and the resulting networking can open up more doors, and we hope to continue similar forums.

 

If you look below, you'll notice that leading consumer goods analysts have become a more formal part of CGT. The members of our newly formed Financial Advisory Board cover various sectors of the industry and will bring the Wall Street perspective to our magazine and events.They will provide insight into who is doing the best job of building profitable brands, partnerships and leveraging innovation within the CG industry, and to touch upon the keys to their success.

 

And speaking of leaders, our cover story this month stems from an interview with Doreen Wright, Sr. VP and CIO of Campbell Soup Company.Wright joined the company in 2001 as part of the then new CEO's transformation plan.You can read about how her strength as a leader helped turn the company around and why she is proud to work at Campbell.

 

Every leader has his or her own style, but common to those I have met, is their focus on helping the people around them succeed and enabling their team. It is my understanding that when my friend "Bird Dawg"is faced with a leadership challenge, he asks,"What would Mr. Sam do?" Tell me what you do and how you define a leader: [email protected]. //