“The Evolving Food Industry and New Capabilities Required for Success”

Peter Erickson is the former Executive Vice President for Innovation, Technology, and Quality at General Mills Inc., where he built a distinguished 35-year career leading global teams in the creation and commercialization of breakthrough food products and technologies. His leadership helped strengthen General Mills’ reputation for trusted brands through a commitment to product quality, food safety, and technical excellence.

A champion of open innovation, Peter played a key role in advancing partnerships, venture investing, and external collaborations—encouraging researchers to expand their perspective “from the lab as their world, to the world as their lab.”

In retirement, Peter continues to foster innovation and entrepreneurship as a member of several corporate boards and advisory groups, and as co-founder of two food-focused non-profits: Partners in Food Solutions and 4 Access Partners.

He holds both a BS and an MS degree in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts.