Ken Powell
{{short description|American businessman (born 1954)}}
{{similar names|Kenneth Powell (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ken Powell
| image =
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = c. 1954
| birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.
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| known_for = Former chairman and CEO of General Mills
| education =
| alma mater = Harvard University
Stanford Graduate School of Business
| employer =
| occupation = Businessman
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| boards = Medtronic, Inc.
Board of Regents (University of Minnesota)
| spouse = Wendy Bennett
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Kendall J. Powell (born c. 1954) is an American businessman. He is the former chairman of General Mills from 2008 to 2017, and chief executive officer (CEO) from 2007 to 2017.
Early life and education
Powell was born circa 1954 in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Harvard University in 1976,McKinney, Matt. [http://www.startribune.com/business/11244906.html "Sanger ends 12-year General Mills reign"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930182632/http://www.startribune.com/business/11244906.html |date=2012-09-30 }}, Star Tribune, September 24, 2007. and three years later earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.[http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/NEWS/bmag/sbsm0611/newsmakers.html "Newsmakers Buy Small, Returns Big"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210013444/http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/NEWS/bmag/sbsm0611/newsmakers.html |date=2012-02-10 }}.
Career
Powell joined General Mills in 1979.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2007/09/24/daily6.html|title=Big G's Sanger steps down as CEO|date=September 24, 2007|website=bizjournals|access-date=2019-12-19}} He subsequently held a variety of management positions at the company. From 1999 to 2004, he was CEO of Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20070924006079/en/Ken-Powell-Named-Chief-Executive-Officer-General|title=Ken Powell Named Chief Executive Officer of General Mills|date=September 24, 2007|website=BusinessWire|access-date=2019-12-19}} In 2005, he was appointed as the company's U.S. retail unit chief.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-09-25-0709240468-story.html|title=General Mills CEO leaves post|date=September 25, 2007|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-12-19}} In May 2006, he was promoted to president and chief operating officer. In September 2007, Powell was appointed as General Mill's CEO,{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/business/articles/2007/09/24/general_mills_names_ken_powell_as_ceo/|title=General Mills names Ken Powell as CEO|date=September 24, 2007|website=Boston Globe|access-date=2019-12-19}} then chairman of the board of directors in the following year.{{cite web|url=https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/about/corporate-governance/board-directors.html|title=Medtronic plc Board of Directors|website=medtronic.com|access-date=2019-12-19}} He retired in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://investors.generalmills.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/General-Mills-Announces-Retirement-of-Ken-Powell-as-Chairman-of-the-Board-and-the-Election-of-Jeffrey-Harmening-as-the-New-Chairman/default.aspx|title=General Mills Announces Retirement of Ken Powell as Chairman of the Board and the Election of Jeffrey Harmening as the New Chairman|date=November 8, 2017|website=generalmills.co|access-date=2019-12-19}}
Powell serves on the board of directors of Medtronic, Inc.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071018164057/http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=919304 "Forbes.com Kendall Powell Profile"]. and on the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota.{{cite web|url=https://regents.umn.edu/kendall-j-powell|title=Kendall J. Powell|website=umn.edu|access-date=2019-12-18|archive-date=2019-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219045414/https://regents.umn.edu/kendall-j-powell|url-status=dead}}
Compensation
As CEO of General Mills in 2009, Powell received total compensation of $9,221,035, which included a base salary of $959,583, a cash bonus of $1,910,770, stocks granted of $3,720,566, options granted of $2,276,223, and other compensation of $353,893.[http://www.equilar.com/CEO_Compensation/General_Mills_Kendall_J._Powell.php 2009 CEO Compensation for Kendall J. Powell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117200352/http://www.equilar.com/CEO_Compensation/General_Mills_Kendall_J._Powell.php |date=2014-01-17 }}, Equilar His 2011 total compensation of $8,609,199 included a base salary of $973,042, a cash bonus of $1,926,622, stocks granted of $3,724,528, options granted of $1,705,426, and other compensation of $278,981.[http://www.equilar.com/ceo-compensation/2011/general_mills_kendall_j._powell.php 2011 CEO Compensation for Kendall J. Powell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119163132/http://www.equilar.com/ceo-compensation/2011/general_mills_kendall_j._powell.php |date=2012-01-19 }}, Equilar
Personal life
Powell is married to Wendy Bennett.{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Clare|title=Nonprofit consultant, wife of General Mills CEO named to MPR board|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2015/04/22/non-profit-consultant-wife-of-general-mills-ceo.html|accessdate=January 22, 2018|work=Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal|date=April 22, 2015}} They have two daughters.
References
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Category:American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
Category:American health care businesspeople
Category:American manufacturing businesspeople
Category:American chief executives of food industry companies
Category:Chairmen of General Mills
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Businesspeople from Denver