3M intends to spin off its health care business, resulting in two public companies.

The new 3M business will serve the industrial and consumer end markets through global material science innovation, while the health care company will be a global diversified healthcare technology company focused on wound care, healthcare IT, oral care, and biopharma filtration.

The company, which will have separate boards and management teams, expects the split to enhance agility and focus, and will enable to tailor capital allocation strategies and make company-specific investment decisions.

"Today's actions advance our ability to create value for customers and shareholders," said Mike Roman, 3M chairman and CEO, in a statement. "Disciplined portfolio management is a hallmark of our growth strategy. Our management team and board continually evaluate the strategic options that will best drive long term sustainable growth and value. The decision to spin off our Health Care business will result in two well-capitalized, world-class companies, well positioned to pursue their respective priorities."

3M’s consumer business has it sitting as No. 16 on the 2021 CGT Top 100 Consumer Goods Ranking. This new business recorded $26.8 billion in sales in 2021, and will continue to leverage its innovation to capitalize on customer opportunities aligned with such key global megatrends as electronics, safety, mobility, digitization, home improvement, and sustainability, according to the company.

It will also continue to prioritize strategic opportunities that include investments in growth, productivity, and sustainability while maintaining a proactive approach to portfolio management, it noted.  

The transaction is expected to complete by the end of 2023.

Patrick Reynolds has joined BlueConic as chief marketing officer, a new role for the customer data platform company.

Previously SVP of Mastercard, where he led the worldwide demand generation function, Reynolds will lead BlueConic’s global marketing organization, leveraging his B2B, B2C, agency, data, and martech experience.

His previous experience also includes serving as CMO at SessionM, which was acquired by Mastercard in 2019; running marketing and strategy for digital audio technology company Triton Digital; and multiple leadership positions with the Carat, Publicis, and Hill Holliday agencies.

BlueConic said Reynolds’ appointment marks a pivotal point in its acceleration from start-up to scale-up following an investment from Vista Equity Partners.

[See also: Han Wen Named Chief Digital & Marketing Officer at L’Oréal USA]

HelloFresh is investing in its workforce analytics capabilities through the use of low code.  

The meal kit food delivery company has tapped solution provider Domo to increase the visibility of — and access to — the business intelligence and analytics within its growing HR operations. HelloFresh has more than 10,000 employees within its U.S. distribution centers alone, and the company sought a solution that would quickly address operational challenges and provide holistic insights of talent and staffing across the business.

The company required the ability to combine a range of data sets for recruiting, workforce management, time, and attendance. It conducted a three-week proof-of-concept with Domo, whose low-code data app platform is designed to enable the easy creation of data apps for business functions. During the PoC, the platform successfully integrated the data integration, according to Domo, and enhanced the HR analytics team’s ability to deliver workforce insights to the business.

Yushu Byra, director of people insights at HelloFresh, praised the platform’s content builder and end user UI, and said it enabled their team to get key data points quickly into the hands of decision makers so they could make actionable and positive change.

HelloFresh will expand the original POC to manage a range of initiatives, including recruitment, employee engagement, and workforce management.

PepsiCo marked the 40th anniversary of its Supplier Diversity Program with a commitment to expand its base and increase overall spend through new forums, mentorship, partnerships, and resources.

As part of the Supplier Diversity Program, PepsiCo currently spends more than $1 billion annually with certified, diverse suppliers, including women, Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, Native American, individuals with disabilities, and U.S. veterans. The program has grown from an initial spend of $5 million in 1982 to nearly $30 billion spent over the past 40 years across PepsiCo's entire value chain.

The expansion will include increased support around the supplier certification process to help businesses grow and sustain their economic impact for the future.

[See also: PepsiCo Adds Renewable Energy Access to Pep+]

"As one of the leading convenient food and beverage companies in the U.S., we have a responsibility to leverage our size and reach to help address the systemic barriers that too often limit or exclude diverse suppliers from developing and expanding their businesses," said Melani Wilson Smith, PepsiCo's global chief procurement officer, in a statement.  

"We've been on this journey for decades and we are committed to growing with our diverse suppliers and procuring new ones,” she added. “Working with diverse-owned businesses is one of the more important ways we can help build a more inclusive supply chain which, in turn, strengthens the communities where we operate and yields greater value for our consumers and customers."

PepsiCo, which is the No. 3 publicly owned consumer goods company, has also hired Pink Patch Group, a Black-woman-owned certification consultancy, to help with the diverse supplier certification process and remove barriers to economic advancement.

"We know that minority certification will allow diverse businesses to work with many Fortune 500 companies beyond PepsiCo," said Christina Tyson, director of supplier diversity at PepsiCo. "Hiring a third-party consultancy to assist small diverse-owned businesses with the certification process is one of several steps we're taking to drive racial equality and create systemic change in the communities we serve."  

EnsembleIQ, parent company of CGT, was recently honored by workplace evaluation firm Comparably in its “Best Leadership Teams” category for driving positive culture change.

This honor is based on ratings voluntarily and anonymously submitted to Comparably by EnsembleIQ employees about the performance of the company leadership team. Those rated included direct managers and senior leaders, who all received “A” level grades during the past 12 months.

“The leadership team is approachable and open to new suggestions and ideas. They make themselves available to the team at-large and encourage / motivate us to perform our best,” posted one employee. Another stated, “Communication is excellent! I am asked to participate in any meeting or event that can help my growth and knowledge of the company.”

“This evaluation clearly illustrates that our team members value how company leaders have created a positive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diversity of our employees,” said EnsembleIQ chief executive officer Jennifer Litterick said. 

“Prioritizing positive culture change has strengthened the core of our organization. Our leaders are providing a supportive, flexible, and development-driven environment for employees to innovate and drive growth by delivering actionable business intelligence and connections to retail, healthcare, and hospitality business professionals and solution providers,” she added.

[Read more: Creative Agency EIQ Brand Lab Wins 7 AVA Digital Awards]

Culture is an essential component of EnsembleIQ attracting top-tier talent. In addition to utilizing Comparably for cultural assessment, EnsembleIQ provides a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council with 35 people serving on three employee-driven task forces focused on Community, Cultural Competence, and Cultural Belonging. 

The company also provides two volunteer days per year and a platform to find in-person or remote volunteer opportunities that are individual or team based, monthly leadership training, a wellbeing program with a mental health focus, and a feedback culture where employees receive feedback every week. 

“Company culture is driven by the organization’s leadership team,” said Comparably CEO Jason Nazar. “Sentiments expressed by EnsembleIQ employees clearly illustrate they greatly appreciate the outstanding leadership that has driven positive change to provide a culture in which they thrive.”

EnsembleIQ previously was honored by Comparably as a Best Place to Work in Chicago, where the company is headquartered.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC (PBV), one of the nation’s largest independent bottlers, is investing $35 million in a new state-of-the-art bottling line.

Located in Winston-Salem, N.C., the 526,000-square-foot facility looks to improve efficiencies and optimize manufacturing operations by increasing production capacity for some of the bottler's largest brands like Aquafina, Lipton Tea, and PBV-owned brand Nature's Twist.

The new bottling line will produce millions of cases of beverages per year and will also focus on sustainability as it can manufacture bottles made from 100% recycled material. 

While Pepsi Bottling ventures first acquired the production facility in 2012, the company leased an additional 316,000 square feet of warehouse due to increased storage needs. Construction of the new bottling line is scheduled to begin in 2023 and should be up and running by the end of 2024.

PBV expects to add up to 10 new full-time jobs upon completion.

"This investment is a promise to our customers and consumers that we will continue to meet their beverage needs and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region and the state of North Carolina," said Derek Hill, president and CEO of PBV. "We're excited about the opportunities that this new line will afford us as we focus on innovation and improving efficiencies. This investment allows us to continue operating at our best and ensures stable and well-paying jobs for years to come."

Matthew Bucherati, senior vice president of operations and supply chain at PBV, said staying connected to consumers’ needs is at the forefront of how PBV runs its operations.

"Running our operations responsibly and sustainably is paramount,” Bucherati added. “This new line incorporates the latest bottling technology, allowing us to keep up with demand while remaining good stewards in communities where we operate. I'm very proud of this investment and what we're able to deliver to our customers and consumers."