“the hispanic network does a lot of things for our

“A MAN IS KNOWN
BY THE COMPANY HE KEEPS.”
• Intro
• Hispanic Network - Esmer Cancino
• Qué Rica Vida - A Recipe for Success
• Initiative - Ricardo Fernández
• Good to be Home - Henry González
• Supplier Diversity - Jamie Aragón
• Contributions that Nourish - Non-profit Partnerships
• CLUES - Diego Osuna
• Accomplishments
I N T R O
THERE’S STRENGTH
IN DIVERSITY
There is nothing more important than celebrating the professionals
that make up our passionate and dynamic General Mills community.
Your life stories, successes and heritage not only inspire us to grow
and prosper, but create an environment that empowers each employee
to reach for their desired professional and personal goals. This
diversity motivates us to develop powerful programs and initiatives,
effective work strategies and creative new ways to do business.
KEN POWELL
CHAIRMAN & CEO OF GENERAL MILLS
As part of this thriving community,
we take pride in showcasing the stories
of our Hispanic professionals and leaders
who are taking a stand in helping us nourish
the lives of everyone at General Mills far beyond
financial success.
Each story is a celebration of our Hispanic
employees’ heritage, and through them we
demonstrate the passion for our people. Each
of them represent who we are and where we
are going in this exciting multicultural future
brimming with opportunity.
3
I N T R O
H I S P A N I C
N E T W O R K
HISPANIC NETWORK
EMBRACES THE EMPLOYEE
From the innovation of ideas to the implementation of
different and effective procedures, there are many benefits
that can be harvested from a diverse workforce.
Just ask Esmer Cancino, the president of the General Mills
Hispanic Network. She is a leader in promoting the passion
and talent of Hispanics in the company.
“The Hispanic Network does a lot of things for our employees
– from personal development to networking – we try to arm
members with new tools and skills they can take back to
their desk and put to work”.
Cancino’s objective is to develop an environment
that empowers Hispanics to succeed at General
Mills. An example of her mission is the progress
she has achieved in developing leadership for
Hispanics and the creation of a community of
professional excellence.
“THE HISPANIC NETWORK DOES A
LOT OF THINGS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES –
FROM PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
TO NETWORKING – WE TRY TO ARM
MEMBERS WITH NEW TOOLS AND
SKILLS THEY CAN TAKE BACK TO
THEIR DESK AND PUT TO WORK”.
Following such expectations and values,
the Hispanic Network’s annual event,
Hispanic Leadership Day, has become very
popular at General Mills. With an increased
attendance of 30% in 2009, Hispanic
Leadership Day has expanded to a threeday festivity. Through events like these, Cancino
hopes to continue strengthening and
contributing to the cultural integration
of her corporate family.
Esmer Cancino, President of the
General Mills Hispanic Network
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE HISPANIC NETWORK AND TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOOLS AVAILABLE
TO HISPANIC EMPLOYEES, CONTACT
HISPANIC.COMMUNICATION@GENMILLS.COM
5
H I S P A N I C
N E T W O R K
Q U É
R I C A
V I D A
TM
A RECIPE FOR
SUCCESS
Food can be delicious in many ways. It can
delight us with new flavors through special
ingredients, or it can make a gathering among
friends possible. But for those who immigrate
to this country, it is particularly delicious to
experience the sensation of reconnecting with
our culture when we add the unique tastes
that define it. That’s what Qué Rica VidaTM is
all about.
Qué Rica VidaTM is the successful quarterly
magazine and online resource developed by
Adriana Amione and Úrsula Mejía-Melgar that
presents Hispanic women and their families with
interesting articles and easy, innovative recipes
with a taste of home.
ÚRSULA MEJÍA-MELGAR (LEFT)
ADRIANA AMIONE (RIGHT)
DEVELOPERS OF QUÉ RICA VIDA TM
As they explained, their personal
experiences were also key to the
development of Qué Rica Vida. Both
Amione and Mejía-Melgar had to leave
their families in Mexico to move to
the United States in search of
professional growth.
United by their culinary passion,
they decided to develop an ingenious
platform of cultural exploration with the
goal of integrating and connecting to
the Hispanic community through food.
“Everyone who has touched Qué Rica
Vida has passion and the power to believe
in the platform,” said Mejía-Melgar, who
feels moved when she receives
testimonials from customers telling her
how Qué Rica Vida has helped them
in their everyday lives. “When I look at
how we are changing and impacting
lives for Hispanics and their families;
that is huge.”
Amione and Mejía-Melgar successfully
established the first Hispanic kitchen at
General Mills. They feel particularly proud
of not only helping Hispanics adapt to
their life in the United States, but also
serving as an educational vehicle for
General Mills employees to learn more
about the Hispanic culture and
its nuances.
“EVERYONE WHO HAS
TOUCHED QUÉ RICA
VIDA HAS PASSION AND
THE POWER TO BELIEVE
IN THE PLATFORM.”
Úrsula Mejía-Melgar,
QRV Marketing Manager
7
Q U É
R I C A
V I D A
TM
“
“GENERAL MILLS IS A COMPANY
THAT REWARDS JUMPING IN,
TAKING ADVANTAGE, TAKING
CHARGE AND TRYING THINGS
YOUR OWN WAY. HAVING STRONG
INITIATIVE IS ENCOURAGED
AND SUPPORTED.”
R I C A R D O
F E R N Á N D E Z
INITIATIVE THAT
GOES FAR
Ricardo Fernández still remembers his last days
as a student at the University of Michigan. About to
receive his MBA, he decided that giving his all to a
new opportunity as an intern for General Mills would
guide him to a future filled with great opportunities.
Soon he’d realize that it was precisely his positive,
can-do attitude that would take him far.
“General Mills is a company that rewards jumping
in, taking advantage, taking charge and trying things
your own way. Having strong initiative is encouraged
and supported,” explained Fernández.
RICARDO FERNÁNDEZ
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BRAZIL
That’s how the intern in the marketing
department of the Snacks Division ended
up becoming the Regional Marketing
Director of Latin America and South America,
and is now the Managing Director of Brazil.
For that, he says he had to dedicate
himself to many areas in the company,
but as he tells every new Hispanic
employee, taking initiative in any
position truly allows them to go far.
As part of his work for General Mills,
Fernández also plays an active role
recruiting and sponsoring new Hispanic
candidates. He has been a member of the
Hispanic Network for many years, serving
in several leadership positions, including
president and vice-president. His ability
to get involved, take advantage of all kinds
of experiences and to adapt to challenges is
what Fernández recognizes has “shaped”
him as a leader.
“No matter where I’ve been within the
company, the exposure I’ve had to senior
leadership has been invaluable. To have
access to the company’s top leaders and
see what they think, understand their
challenges – it’s very motivating.”
9
R I C A R D O
F E R N Á N D E Z
H E N R Y
G O N Z Á L E Z
GOOD TO
BE HOME
For Henry González, all the pieces of the puzzle are finally in place.
After working for over a decade on the other side of the country, he
found the opportunity to return home by accepting a position as
systems engineer at the General Mills plant in Carson, CA.
In addition to being excited about his extended family living just a mile
away from the plant where he works, he feels equally at home
working as an engineer on the Yoplait yogurt lines.
HENRY GONZÁLEZ
SYSTEMS ENGINEER, CARSON, CA PLANT
“I’m amazed to see how much General
Mills cares about its employees,” said
González. “I really appreciate the fact
that I’m encouraged to build relationships
and the company fosters a culture where
employees feel they can go out there and
take advantage of opportunities to help
them develop and grow professionally.”
Following that motivation and the
opportunities presented by General
Mills, González feels good when he
contributes to events like the mentoring
session he helped organize recently.
In this particular activity, 22 engineering
students from Long Beach State University
benefited from learning about the job of a
product engineer at a production plant.
Similarly, González is very eager to be a part
of the new processes being implemented by
General Mills. This year, he will take part
in the new renovation phase in production that
will help improve the efficiency of the production
lines and reduce costs.
“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the roll-out
and to help introduce the new tools across all
lines. We’re collaborating on this successful
campaign to meet our long-term goals.”
“IT’S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE
A PART OF THE ROLL-OUT AND
TO HELP INTRODUCE THE NEW
TOOLS ACROSS ALL LINES.
WE’RE COLLABORATING ON
THIS SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN
TO MEET OUR LONG-TERM GOALS.”
11
H E N R Y
G O N Z Á L E Z
S U P P L I E R
D I V E R S I T Y
INVEST
IN OUR
COMMUNITIES
Often, the true value of an investment
goes beyond its earnings. You can
gain or increase value, for instance,
by recognizing new opportunities,
creating new business relationships
or by solidifying the work your team
of professionals is doing.
That is the vision of James Momon,
Director of Supplier Diversity and
Business Development. He assures
that particularly during rough economic
times, one should define
JAMIE ARAGÓN
JIT SERVICES OWNER
the value of an investment based
on the short and long-term
possibilities that the transaction
presents, and the positive impact
it could have on the company and
its employees.
The General Mills Supplier Diversity
Department specializes in identifying
and vetting minority-owned suppliers
and companies to establish a beneficial
partnership that serves to grow each
other’s business. General Mills
generated approximately $200
million in business with Hispanicowned companies in 2009.
“As the U.S. population continues to become
more diversified, General Mills must be prepared
to react to an ever-changing consumer base,”
said Momon. “Our Supplier Diversity approach
is based on three key pillars. Heart recognizes
that we believe engaging diverse suppliers is the
right thing to do. Head recognizes that our future
growth objectives are tied to our ability to market
to emerging consumer franchises; we engage the
diverse supplier community in the same manner.
And, wallet, is General Mills putting our money
where our mouth is; we hold ourselves accountable
for measureable progress in developing diverse
supplier relationships.”
One of the organizations that has prospered is JIT
Services in Minneapolis, founded in 1991 by the
Hispanic executive, Jamie Aragón. Since 2005,
JIT Services has been in charge of educating
General Mills about the efficient conservation
of energy in the facilities around the country,
resulting in significant energy savings for the
company – over $1 million in 2009 alone.
“OUR SUPPLIER DIVERSITY IS BASED ON THREE
KEY PILLARS. HEART RECOGNIZES THAT ENGAGING
DIVERSE SUPPLIERS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
HEAD RECOGNIZES THAT OUR FUTURE GROWTH
OBJECTIVES ARE TIED TO OUR ABILITY
TO MARKET TO EMERGING CONSUMERS;
WE ENGAGE THE DIVERSE SUPPLIER COMMUNITY
SIMILARLY. AND, WALLET, IS GENERAL MILLS
PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.”
“We’re very selective and purposeful about
our work and the diverse clients we serve. JIT
Services has experienced the inverse effect
during the recession where our business model
is successful,” said Aragón. “Companies realize
they can save money by being more efficient and
we can show them how.”
Aligned with Aragón’s ideas, Momon believes the
key to the Supplier Diversity program is looking at
small businesses like JIT Services as a vehicle of
competitive advantage, innovation and opportunity
to create relevance with the consumer.
James Momon, Supplier Diversity
and Business Development Director
at General Mills
13
J A M I E
A R A G Ó N
N O N - P R O F I T
P A R T N E R S H I P S
CONTRIBUTIONS
THAT NOURISH
Every great company can solidify its goals and focus its workforce through the creation of community and social
causes. At General Mills, we partner with dynamic organizations that share our mission in helping to nourish lives
by making people’s lives healthier, easier and richer. For instance, donating 5% of pretax monies to community
giving initiatives has been an effective way for the company to contribute to philanthropic causes. In Fiscal Year
2009, this totaled more than $1.2 million to 450 Hispanic organizations, some of which include the YMCA of
Metropolitan Los Angeles, the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation in New Mexico and The Centro
Cultural Chicano in Minneapolis.
We are also proud of key partnerships with the National Council of La Raza
(NCLR) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Collaborating with
the NCLR and its 300 community-based organizations that serve more than
four million Hispanic Americans, General Mills has helped create a network
of 30 trained promotoras. The support team works closely with Hispanics to help
them learn to make better choices at the grocery store. And through the CHCI,
the company awards scholarships to graduates who demonstrate a commitment
to outstanding community service. For the last five years, scholarships have been
awarded to civic-minded students with strong leadership abilities who plan to
pursue advanced degrees.
RUDY RODRÍGUEZ, DIRECTOR
O F M U LT I C U LT U R A L M A R K E T I N G
General Mills also supports the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund, with outreach programs
that offer the Hispanic community
direct access to information and the
necessary tools to explore the college
application process. In addition, the
scholarship fund provides students with
the opportunity to receive up to $20,000
in financial aid.
The General Mills Foundation, in
conjunction with the American Dietetic
Association Foundation and the
President’s Council on Physical Fitness,
developed the successful Champions
for Healthy Kids grant program in 2002.
Every year since its inception,
the General Mills Foundation has
donated 50 grants of $10,000 each to
community groups that develop creative
ways to promote healthy diets and active
lifestyles among kids.
With every one of these contributions,
General Mills is not only giving monetarily,
but also encouraging employee
contributions that make the
difference in the communities
where they live, work and play.
15
N O N - P R O F I T
P A R T N E R S H I P S
D I E G O
O S U N A
CLUES OFFERS
A WINDOW OF
OPPORTUNITY
Diego Osuna’s commitment to give back is helping
to ensure that tomorrow is a little brighter for
many in the community. One beautiful example
of his vision is a colorful mural called “Window
of Opportunity” by RB Sullivan, located in the
lobby of CLUES – Comunidades Latinas
Unidas en Servicio, the pro-Hispanic
organization where he’s Board Chairman.
Osuna himself helped orchestrate the creation
with the artistic talents of General Mills employees
in the Hispanic Network and Art Club. He
explains that this image is simply perfect when
considering the work CLUES does to provide
orientation and resources to thousands of
Hispanics and immigrants in the Twin Cities
area, guiding them to a better future for
themselves and their families.
T H E V I B R A N T M U R A L WA S C R E AT E D
BY VOLUNTEER EMPLOYEES THROUGH
THE HISPANIC NETWORK
AND THE ART CLUB
CLUES’ mission revolves around offering that
window of opportunity, and Osuna, who himself
emigrated from Colombia looking for professional
opportunities, identifies with the work CLUES
oversees. After working for General Mills for
nine years and presiding over the company’s
Hispanic Network, he felt that the next logical
step was to create something greater to support
the Hispanic community.
“I thought to myself, what else can I do?” said
Osuna. “I realized that I had to do my part to
improve my community. I came to the U.S.
under privileged circumstances and I am very
grateful for that. Many people who come into
the U.S. do not have easy access to the
resources that I had.”
His colleague, Jesse Bethke Gómez, who
directs CLUES from his office on Hope Street
in St. Paul, says that the same passion is
present in everything the organization does,
and CLUES success has been such that it
now provides guidance and essential resources
to over 38,000 Hispanics annually.
“We work with our clients to help them identify
goals. Our staff walks alongside them and offers
a guiding hand, open ears, an encouraging
voice,” said Gómez. “Some of the services
provided to CLUES clientele include: mental
health and chemical medical services; advice
on aging well and parenting; and economic
advancement services.” A great part of the
process, he explained, is also supported by
volunteers who put in over 9,000 working
hours, as well as contributions from corporate
partners like General Mills.
“CLUES and General Mills have a long-standing
relationship and the company has had a
profound impact with its ongoing support
and contributions,” said Gómez. Since
1998 when it launched its first capital
campaign, CLUES received support from the
General Mills Foundation at an institutional
level and through the quality of its volunteers.
“Whether it’s helping teach English as a
second language or painting a mural for
our facility, volunteers walk away with a
very enriching experience,” he concluded.
“And that’s why they keep coming back
to support our mission.”
“WHETHER IT’S HELPING
TEACH ENGLISH AS A SECOND
LANGUAGE OR PAINTING A
MURAL FOR OUR FACILITY,
VOLUNTEERS WALK AWAY
WITH A VERY ENRICHING
EXPERIENCE”
Jesse Bethke Gómez,
President of CLUES
17
D I E G O
O S U N A
PRIDE IN OUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Top 25 Companies for
Supplier Diversity
– Hispanic Business magazine
Top 50 Companies for Diversity
– Diversity Inc
50 Best Companies
for Hispanics
– LATINA Style magazine
100 Best Companies to work for
– Fortune
Top Companies for
Diverse MBA’s and Managers
– Diversity MBA magazine
Top 20 Companies for Leadership
– Bloomberg Businessweek.com
Best Companies
for Multicultural Women
– Working Mother magazine
W W W. G E N E R A L M I L L S . C O M