"I've never seen a business that had great innovation that didn't have a strong core. In my career - a long one - I've never seen those things happen. And so even when you're making your core stronger, at the very least you're setting your brand up so it can actually have different planks, if you would, to go and innovate, off of as well. And I think as long as that core is intact and you continue to invest against that core, you actually are putting yourself in a better position for it to maintain relevance over time."
–Anton Vincent, President of Mars Wrigley - North America, the largest subsidiary of Mars Inc., one of the world’s largest privately held companies.
How do you innovate on one of the world’s largest and most iconic consumer brand portfolios? Anton Vincent shared his POV about fostering growth in various macro-economic situations, how to set the table for tomorrow and why the most difficult challenges are often the ones that demand the most innovation. Of course, we also talk about M&Ms and candy.
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a global, family-owned business, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world.
Anton has successfully led the acceleration of the value creation of one of the world's largest, most iconic consumer brand portfolios. He leads the cross-segment Regional Presidents Council (RPC) and is the principal Mars leadership voice for the industry and regulatory matters in the US.
Prior to joining Mars, Anton was the CEO of Greencore, PLC, USA, a leading co-pack and co-man company. He spent 20 years at General Mills building award-winning brands and leading three divisions to record financial performance, helped execute the $10B acquisition of the Pillsbury Company, and served on the board of 301 INC., General Mills' early-stage venture fund.
VentureFuel builds and accelerates innovation programs for industry leaders by helping them unlock the power of External Innovation via startup collaborations.
