WARD ELWOOD, MBA
5786 Blue Jay Drive ~ Kalamazoo, Michigan 49009
Cell: 269-601-2986
Ward @WardElwood.com
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & INNOVATION
Results-driven Marketing Visionary with 14 years of experience positioning global brands for sustainable revenue
growth and heightened consumer engagement. Award-winning team leader who strikes a valuable balance between
contagious creativity and business-oriented practicality. Classic packaged goods marketing experience complemented
by M.B.A. in Marketing from Columbia Business School and BS in Engineering from The University of Michigan.
A REAS OF E XPERTISE
Global Platform Development – New Product Development, Launch & Commerialization – Marketing Strategy – Branding
Cross-Functional Team Leadership & Project Management – Market Research – Competitive Analysis – Category Management
P ROFESSIONAL E XPERIENCE
Kellogg Company – Battle Creek, Michigan
2012 to Present
$15B breakfast, snacks, & frozen foods manufacturer; brands include Special K, Eggo, Keebler, Pringles, and Morningstar Farms.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – GLOBAL GROWTH PLATFORMS (2014 - present)
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – GLOBAL INNOVATION (2012 – 2014)
Currently leading development of global breakfast initiatives across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and
Europe. Direct culturally-diverse cross-functional teams in the development of global strategy and market insights,
then proceed to design international solutions that are executed through regional businesses and supply chains.

Leading Kellogg’s #1 global innovation initiative: the exploration, development, and commercialization of new
packaging forms that will break a 108-year tradition and offer more contemporary package solutions. This project
will not only revitalize interest in the cereal category but will also provide $50MM - $100MM in annual savings.

Spearheaded development and introduction of global breakfast drinks, which yielded $140MM in incremental net
sales by expanding the company into international beverages and also providing a way to launch the Kellogg’s
masterbrand. Results have now been expanded into handheld breakfasts and popular granolas around the world.
Kimberly-Clark – Roswell, Georgia
2006 to 2012
$19B paper products manufacturer with 56K employees; brands include Kleenex, Kotex, Cottonelle, Depend, Viva, and Huggies.
GLOBAL SR. BRAND MANAGER /ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – FEMININE CARE (2010 - 2012)
SR. BRAND MANAGER – FEMININE CARE (2008 – 2010)
NEW BUSINESS EXPLORATION LEAD – ENTERPRISE GROWTH INCUBATOR (2006-2008)
Managed global marketing strategy, branding, and new product initiatives across Latin America, Asia, Middle East,
Eastern Europe, and Africa. Identified and capitalized on opportunities for business growth and global market
expansion across both consumer and professional portfolios. Respected mentor and leader to two direct reports.

Devised Global Business Plan to grow net sales from $1.3B to $2B by 2015 for feminine care brands. Strategies
included targeted product development, geographic expansion, emotional branding, and consumer education.

Drove Kimberly-Clark’s first global feminine care launches by leading a diverse cross-functional team to deliver
unique innovations which quickly contributed over $150MM in net sales in less than a year’s time.

Identified $1B in global consumer health initiatives through health and wellness exploration and segmentation.

Pioneered $150MM air care business plan to triple net sales while also growing gross margin 11%.

Selected as one of five 2010 KCI Global Leadership Role Models across all of Kimberly-Clark International.
WARD ELWOOD, MBA
Cell: 269-601-2986
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Cadbury Schweppes – Parsippany, New Jersey
2004 to 2006
Chocolate & confectionary company now owned by Kraft Foods; the industry’s second-largest global firm after Mars Incorporated.
BRAND MANAGER, INNOVATION (2004 – 2006)
Launched Innovation Group within the $1.1B Cadbury Adams candy and confections division. Sharply-focused on
shaping new product pipeline to drive business growth across the highly-competitive gum and candy categories.

Cultivated $200MM confections pipeline focused on new confection forms and added consumer product benefits;
this work led to the launch and ongoing success of Trident Layers, Trident Vitality, and Dentyne Pure.

Drove product innovation to surpass aggressive new product volume targets; delivered 18% of net sales for US
Confections business and more than 20% in the following year.

Streamlined the division’s new product pipeline project evaluation and prioritization process through the
introduction of a new portfolio management system used by upper management for improved decision-making.
General Mills – Minneapolis, Minnesota
2000 to 2004
Highly-respected $14B food manufacturer whose brands include Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Yoplait, Cheerios, and Old El Paso.
ASSOCIATE MARKETING MANAGER (BIG G CEREALS, PROGRESSO SOUP, SALTY SNACKS: 2001 – 2004)
ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER (FOODSERVICE GOLD MEDAL BAKING MIXES: 2000 – 2001)
Drove top- and bottom-line growth by optimizing and innovating multi-million dollar brand portfolios. Honed crossfunctional project management expertise, as well as classical brand management skills across advertising and
promotion development, category management, packaging design, forecasting, and annual business planning.

Conceptualized the first Fiber One brand extension (Honey Clusters), achieving double-digit volume growth,
doubling shelf space in ultra-competitive cereal category and laying the foundation for the transformation of the
Fiber One equity from a niche player into megabrand (Fiber One now spans over 20 products across 6 categories).

Generated $20MM in sales by leading near-term product development and commercialization for Chex Mix and
Bugles, exceeding growth projections for $131MM Salty Snack business.

Achieved 27% distribution growth (adding an average of 6 new ready-to-eat soup SKUs per store) by creating a
comprehensive category management guidebook for the firm’s newly-acquired $360MM Progresso Soup portfolio.

Honored with multiple Champion Awards, including leadership of cross-functional improvement effort for
$193MM soup SKUs as well as new direct-to-consumer program that grew foodservice brownie revenues by 6%.
Eli Lilly & Company – Pharmaceutical Marketing Intern - Indianapolis, Indiana
Arthur Andersen – Computer Systems Consultant - Omaha, Nebraska
American Management Systems - Financial Systems Developer - New York, NY
E DUCATION
M.B.A., Marketing (2000) – Columbia Business School
B.S., Industrial & Operations Engineering (1993) – The University of Michigan
Summer 1999
1996 to 1998
1994 to 1996