General Mills, Inc.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, St. Louis

Susan Topel has joined the manufacturer as a shopper insights analyst.

General Mills' annual Global Responsibility Report outlines the company's approach to creating economic, environmental and social value in the countries where it operates.

Many small, organic food companies start with a homegrown story that appeals to its consumer base, however, major consumer goods powerhouses have been recently vacuuming up these niche players. Giants like Coke, General Mills and Kellogg have recently expanded their organic portfolios through acquisition with rumors of more to come. With the risk of being called a sell out, is teaming up with bigger companies better for growth, or is it a death sentence for these smaller players?

The authors in this section focus a great deal on the pace of change in the industry, and how timing impacts innovation in the market. They explore investments in key technologies (like digital and consumer insights) that can help CG companies react quickly and stay nimble to keep their brands top-of-mind.

Using the entrepreneurial spirit of a smaller company, General Mills acted on an intuition, an outside partnership and direct consumer interaction, for a quick innovation with a big impact.

CGT Editor Alarice Rajagopal gives you a sneak peek into the trends and topics discussed in this month's issue.

General Mills will close a cereal plant and a yogurt factory - eliminating up to 600 jobs - in an effort to cut costs and offset the sluggish U.S. demand for cereal and other packaged foods.

Cereal maker Post Holdings Inc. will acquire privately held MOM Brands Co. for $1.15 billion to expand its growing bagged and hot cereal categories.