General Mills has announced the appointment of Karen Jenkins as its new Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Jenkins brings with her an extensive 25-year background in the food industry and a wealth of experience in driving business growth and innovation across General Mills internationally.
After starting her career in Australia in marketing, she gained cross functional experience in category management and sales. She then expanded her commercial expertise to total business by relocating to New Zealand to lead as Managing Director, before heading over to the UK taking up the Sales Director role. In the UK she was instrumental in successfully navigating the challenges during Brexit and Covid-19. Ms Jenkins returned to Australia three years ago to take on the role of Sales Director for Australia and New Zealand. “During her tenure, she has clearly defined Australia’s customer and channel portfolio roles and driven outstanding internal and external engagement,” the company said.
Earlier this year, Ms Jenkins received global recognition from General Mills for a Business Impact Award, for her exemplary leadership impact to the Australian business at the Global International Women’s Day celebrations, where she was presented the Business Impact Champion award. “Her extensive experience, strategic vision and engaging leadership will continue to drive success in her new role as Managing Director for General Mills in Australia and New Zealand.”
“I am excited to take on the role of Managing Director for General Mills Australia and New Zealand. Our region has seen significant growth and innovation and I am eager to continue building on this success,” Ms Jenkins said. “We have an exceptional team and together, we will focus on driving further growth to keep making food the world loves. Our portfolio of beloved products is well-positioned in growth-facing categories like Old El Paso™ Mexican food, with exciting new developments such as the Latina™ Fresh + PROTEIN chilled pasta range, innovative snacks, and our timeless classics in baking and premium ice cream with Haagen-Dazs™. There is truly something for everyone and I look forward to maintaining this momentum while ensuring the business continues its focus on standing for good for people and the planet.
“It’s a privilege to continue the journey with a team of remarkable and hard-working people at a workplace that was recently recognised as a Great Place to Work® for the fifth consecutive year,” she said.
Ms Jenkin succeeds leading the Australia and New Zealand business from Matt Salter who moved into a position as Vice President of Marketing across the General Mills International business segment.