Kraft Foods Chairman, CEO Irene Rosenfeld to deliver Hatfield lecture


Rosenfeld

Cornell alumna Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods, will deliver the 30th Hatfield lecture Wednesday, March 7, at 5 p.m. in Call Auditorium, Kennedy Hall. Her talk is titled "Against the Wind: Growing in Turbulent Times."

Rosenfeld, a 30-year veteran of the food and beverage industry, joined Kraft Foods in 2006 as CEO and became chairman in 2007. She has successfully repositioned the company by reinvigorating iconic brands and strengthening the company's presence in developing markets. Her accomplishments include Kraft's $19 billion acquisition of Nabisco, the successful integration of the Cadbury businesses and the split of Kraft Foods into two independent public companies; Rosenfeld will lead the Global Snacks business as chairman and CEO following the spinoff in 2012. She previously served for two years as chairman and CEO of Frito-Lay.

Rosenfeld holds three Cornell degrees: a bachelor's in psychology (1975), a master's in business administration (1977) and a Ph.D. in marketing and statistics (1980). She serves on the Grocery Manufacturers Association Board of Directors and the Cornell Board of Trustees. The Financial Times and Fortune recently ranked Rosenfeld No. 1 in their "Top 50 Women in Global Business" and "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" lists.

Immediately following the address, Cornell President David Skorton will moderate a brief question-and-answer session with the audience.

The Robert S. Hatfield Fellowship in Economic Education is the highest honor Cornell bestows on individuals from the corporate sector and serves as a platform for exchange of ideas between the academic and corporate communities. The Robert S. Hatfield Fund for Economic Education was established in 1980 by the Continental Group Foundation to honor its retiring chairman, president and chief executive officer, Robert S. Hatfield '37.

 

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