Douglas R. Conant

Overview

Douglas R. Conant was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell's Soup Company in January of 2001. He also was elected a Director of the company at that time. Conant is 11th leader in the company's nearly 140-year history. Under Conant's leadership, Campbell's has reversed a precipitous decline in market value and employee engagement. The company has made significant investments to improve product quality and packaging, strengthen the effectiveness of its marketing programs, and develop a robust innovation pipeline. Campbell's also has improved its financial profile, enhanced its relationships with its customers, and consistently improved its employee engagement through investments in its organization. Conant joined Campbell's with 25 years of extensive food industry experience from three of the world's leading food companies: General Mills, Inc., Kraft Foods, and Nabisco. Conant began his career in 1976 in marketing at General Mills. After 10 years with General Mills, he then moved to Kraft, where he held top management positions in marketing and strategy. Immediately prior to joining Campbell's, Conant was President of the $3.5 billion Nabisco Foods Company, where he led that unit to five consecutive years of double-digit earnings growth. A native of Chicago, he earned his bachelor of arts degree from Northwestern University and his master's degree in business administration from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Conant is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Chairman and Trustee of The Conference Board, Chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association/Food Processors of America (GMA/FPA), and a Trustee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.