How General Mills Unleashes the Power of Purpose

Brad Hiragana, Chief Brand Officer at General Mill’s believes that doing good is good for business, and that the future of food is shaped by solving real, human problems. He joins us to explain more about General Mills’ purpose of ‘Making food the world loves’ and how it cascades into iconic brands and projects like Box Tops for Education (which has raised a billion dollars since inception), partnering with Serena Williams and LeBron James on Wheaties, and the Betty Crocker x Barbie partnership around STEM education.

Brad Hiranaga

Chief Brand Officer, North America

As Chief Brand Officer (CBO) for North America at General Mills, Brad leads iconic brands like Cheerios, Annie’s, Nature Valley, Yoplait, and Lucky Charms by energizing talent to build differentiated brands in a remarkable and human way. 

By encouraging space and freedom to experiment and learn, Brad has built a highly collaborative cross-functional team structure which has produced innovative ways of thinking, like reinventing “Box Tops For Education” in digital, a program that has already donated nearly one billion dollars to schools. 

Brad is passionate about General Mills’ mission to solve the hunger gap and to grow one million acres of regenerative agriculture. He believes that doing good is good for business, and that the future of food is shaped by solving real, human problems. Driven by his belief, Brad fosters an environment for teams to drive forward culture-shifting ideas, like Old El Paso’s partnership with LeBron James and the LeBron James Family Foundation to support ongoing meal delivery and community programs.