Ken Powell is the former chairman and CEO of General Mills. He joined the firm in 1979 and progressed through a variety of positions to become CEO in 2007. He spent more than a third of his career overseas and helped launch Cereal Partners Worldwide, the company’s joint venture with Nestlé based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Powell retired from General Mills in 2017. He currently serves on the boards of Medtronic and the Carlson Companies. In addition, he chairs the board of Partners in Food Solutions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening food security, improving nutrition and increasing economic development across Africa, and is vice chair of the board of Close Gaps by 5, an advocacy organization dedicated to increasing access to early childhood education.

Powell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford University.