General Mills Appoints Chief Strategy and Growth Officer

General Mills has named Asheesh Saksena as its new chief strategy and growth officer, effective Aug. 26. The retail veteran succeeds Dana McNabb, who was recently appointed to the role of group president, North America retail.

In his role, Saksena will report directly to General Mills Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening. Saksena will have global accountability for the company's strategic planning process and for building long-term, sustainable plans and capabilities to accelerate its growth.

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Most recently, Saksena served as chief growth officer for Gap, Inc., and previously held roles at Best Buy Health, Best Buy, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Asheesh to General Mills,” said Harmening. “Over the course of his career, Asheesh has consistently demonstrated a clear track record of driving growth across a range of industries. As we continue to boldly build our brands, relentlessly innovate and revamp our portfolio for today’s families, I am confident Asheesh will be instrumental in helping build consumer love for our iconic core brands.”

General Mills brands include Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. The company generated $20 billion in net sales in fiscal 2024.