Gen-A.I. Case Study
& Panel Discussion:
How Brands are Closing the Chasm Between New-to-Market Tech & Sustainable Cross-Organizational Adoption
3:25 pm - 4:05 pm PT | ROOM 2
Over the last 150 years, innovation has been at the core of General Mills—from the banks of the Mississippi River to the Betty Crocker revolution, it is baked into everything they do.
Today, however, the promise of AI brings both excitement & fear to the teams around General Mills. Cutting-edge tech accelerates new & differentiated opportunities while risk, compliance, & technical perception continue to provide checks, balance, & friction to change.
In this session, learn how a grassroots AI movement accelerated change & how employees of all levels, skill sets, & focuses, together with technology leaders, drive organizational transformation & impact.
Key Takeaways:
1. Understanding General Mills’ AI Journey in eCommerce & Marketing:
- Gain insights into how General Mills has integrated AI into its eCommerce & marketing efforts, driving significant changes & improvements.
- Discover the successes, challenges, & lessons learned in transforming the company’s digital presence & marketing strategies.
2. Bottom-Up Approach to Innovation:
- Learn about General Mills’ strategy to inspire teams through real-world demonstrations & hands-on experiences.
- Explore the tools & platforms that facilitate a grassroots movement, enabling teams to implement AI in eCommerce & marketing initiatives effectively.
3. Future Outlook for General Mills
- Get a glimpse of what lies ahead for the food manufacturer, including exciting advancements & potential challenges in the AI landscape specific to eCommerce & marketing.
Panelists
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Carter Jensen
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Carter Jensen leads International Digital Strategy & Innovation at General Mills, a role he embraced in 2020 amidst the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. His digitally native approach, combined with expertise in connected commerce & performance marketing, has been crucial in enhancing the company's digital presence & reshaping its global brand strategies.
In 2023, Carter’s international team led the development & strategy for a suite of new AI capabilities within General Mills’ global marketing operations. This initiative has positioned the 150-year-old company at the forefront of digital innovation, continuing to drive differentiation for some of the world's biggest brands.
Prior to his tenure at General Mills, Carter led various consumer experience & technology startups & held significant roles in some of the industry's top agencies & consulting firms. His innovative collaborations with companies like Anheuser-Busch, Nike, & Google have been widely recognized, earning him accolades such as the 'Webby', & Effie awards.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Carter is actively involved with the School of Business & Communications. He also serves on the Path to Purchase Advisory Board, contributing his expertise to advance consumer experiences. His career is distinguished by a commitment to digital excellence & a profound understanding of the modern consumer
General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale & stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki & more. General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion.
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Nick Heitzman
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Nick Heitzman is the Director of Artificial Intelligence at Allegion. Nick has been working in the security industry since 2017, when he joined Allegion as a data scientist. Since joining, he has built artificial intelligence, machine learning, & advanced analytics solutions. As Director of Artificial Intelligence, Nick establishes AI strategies & deployment of AI at Allegion. Nick holds a degree in Accountancy from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, as well as graduate certificates in Data Science (Georgetown University), Applied Statistics (Pennsylvania State University), & Business Strategies for Artificial Intelligence (UC Berkley). Nick is also a member of the Security Industry Association (SIA) AI Advisory board.
Allegion (NYSE: ALLE) is a global pioneer in seamless access, with leading brands like CISA®, Interflex®, LCN®, Schlage®, SimonsVoss® & Von Duprin®. Focusing on security around the door & adjacent areas, Allegion secures people & assets with a range of solutions for homes, businesses, schools & institutions. Allegion had $3.7 billion in revenue in 2023, & its security products are sold around the world. For more, visit www.allegion.com.
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Mark Stevens
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Mark Stevens is VP Digital Commerce at Haleon. In this role, he is responsible for eCommerce sales, ePerformance marketing, eContent development & organizational capabiltiies development. Prior to current role Mark led, Digital Commerce at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare where he built a new digital commerce organization & implemented new ways of working to support their growth ambition. Previously, he led sustainable growth strategies across multiple channels & customers as Director of the Club channel, the Amazon Team Leader, & led Customer Strategy for the Wellness portfolio. Mark has more than 20 years of sales, marketing, strategy & finance experience in the OTC industry across customer development, finance, marketing, & strategy. Mark has an MBA in finance & marketing from Rutgers University & a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of Florida.
We are a world-leading consumer health company with a clear purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Our leading brands are built on science, innovation & human understanding & are trusted by millions of consumers globally. Haleon has a strong portfolio of brands & is well positioned to play a vital role for people all around the world, in a sector that is growing & more relevant than ever.