"You can call it tip of the spear...but it's also a real depth and progressive understanding of where the market is and where the market is going in a lot of different aspects of the value chain, and how do we make sure that we are active in that and that we're bringing that back in. And without it, you're missing a good appreciation and many times you're going to be a laggard or choose the wrong kind of vehicle or instrument to move your business forward."
– Daniel Grubbs, Global Chief Venturing & Investment Officer of PepsiCo
This week's VentureFuel Visionary is Daniel Grubbs, Global Chief Venturing & Investment Officer of PepsiCo Ventures. In our interview he breaks down the piece of the puzzle that corporate venturing plays in keeping PepsiCo's business ahead of the core, beyond the bottle, closer to consumers, and ahead of trends.
We talk about the balance of strategic and financial goals, the value of tip of the spear insights, how unlocking growth can also fuel employee engagement, and their current accelerator program, Greenhouse Accelerator — designed to nurture the growth of emerging and sustainable brands in the food and beverage sector.
Daniel is a high-impact executive and general manager with global experience, strong leadership skills, and a proven track record of building businesses, driving growth, and delivering on financial commitments. He served as the Vice President and Principal at IRI leading their Corporate Intelligence unit, as well as Strategy units partnering with Fortune 500 clientele such as General Mills and Kraft.
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Their portfolio includes category leading brands Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
VentureFuel builds and accelerates innovation programs for industry leaders by helping them unlock the power of External Innovation via startup collaborations.
