For a second straight year, General Mills has earned a spot on Forbes’ second annual “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” list, ranking #50 among 100 global companies.
Forbes works with two researchers – Hal Gregersen and Jeff Dyer – to select the winners based on each company’s “innovation premium,” described in more detail on Forbes’ website.
In our most recent fiscal year, new products generated 5 percent of General Mills’ U.S. Retail segment sales, including strong new product launches such as Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies, Multigrain Cheerios Peanut Butter and Nature Valley Protein bars. Outside the U.S., we launched a number of successful new products, including Häagen-Dazs Secret Sensations ice cream in Europe.
This fiscal year, General Mills has a robust lineup of new product innovation planned across its portfolio and has already launched 100 new products globally, including Progresso Recipe Starters cooking sauces, Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt, Apple Cinnamon Chex, and Fiber One Chewy bars.
When asked about the recognition, Peter Erickson, General Mills’ senior vice president of innovation, technology and quality said:
“We’re extremely honored to be recognized by Forbes as one of the most innovative companies in the world. We are absolutely committed to driving innovation across all of the categories in which we compete. I see this honor as a strong endorsement of our employees’ hard work and relentless pursuit of innovation in all aspects of our business around the world.”
Peter added, “Well beyond new products, General Mills’ approach to driving innovation is a broad and holistic effort. Innovation at General Mills is collaborative and connected and includes everything from building our iconic brands with today’s on-the-go consumers, adding health benefits to products, improving productivity, boosting the company’s environmental sustainability efforts, collaborating with retail customers, and seeking out new business opportunities and new partners.”
Check out the full list online at Forbes.com.
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