Mark Timothy Smucker
["Seniors"](_blank)
'' Colonial Echo''. 1992. Volume 94. College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
. p. 387. (born December 30, 1969)
["Mark Timothy Smucker"](_blank)
''Ohio Residents''. Retrieved August 1, 2020. is an American businessman who has been the president and CEO of
The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
since May 2016. He is the fifth-generation member of the Smucker family to lead the business, a now publicly traded
Fortune 500
The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...
company encompassing coffee, packaged food, and pet food, headquartered in
Orrville, Ohio
Orrville is a city in Wayne County, Ohio, United States. It is about 9 miles east of Wooster and 20 miles southwest of Akron. The population was 8,380 at the 2010 census.
The J.M. Smucker Co., owner of the Smucker's brand, is headquartered in ...
.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had held executive positions since 2001 in the company's Canadian, international, special markets, coffee, consumer foods, and natural foods divisions, and had been a member of its board of directors since 2009. He had been in managerial positions at the company from 1997 to 2001.
Early life and education
Smucker was born in 1969,
the son of Timothy P. Smucker
[Calvey, Mark]
"P&G’s Pringles may be diamond in the rough"
''San Francisco Business Times
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...
''. September 22, 2010. and the great-great-grandson of
Jerome Monroe Smucker
Jerome Monroe Smucker (December 5, 1858 – March 20, 1948) was an American farmer and entrepreneur who founded The J.M. Smucker Company food and beverage firm in 1897, starting out selling apple butter from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. He ...
, who had founded
The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
(Smucker's) in 1897. He grew up in
Orrville, Ohio
Orrville is a city in Wayne County, Ohio, United States. It is about 9 miles east of Wooster and 20 miles southwest of Akron. The population was 8,380 at the 2010 census.
The J.M. Smucker Co., owner of the Smucker's brand, is headquartered in ...
, where the company is headquartered.
[De Lisle, Claire]
"With a name like Smucker's ..."
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
. July 9, 2018.
Like most members of his extended family, he worked summers at the company when he was in middle school, high school, and college, doing a variety of jobs including janitorial work, quality control, marketing and sales, and procurement, and working in various departments at the corporate offices.
["T-bird stewards share family business lessons"](_blank)
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...
. June 22, 2016.[Carter, Kristoffer]
"Mark Smucker: A Fortune 500 CEO on Business Transformation, and Bringing Your Whole Self to Work"
''This Epic Life''. January 28, 2020. Family members who wanted an executive career at the company were also expected to try something else first for at least two years, and to get a master's degree.
[Shingler, Dan]
"Still all in the family"
'' Crain's Cleveland Business''. May 23–29, 2016.[Cho, Janet H]
"J.M. Smucker Co. promotes two fifth-generation family members to high-profile roles"
''The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
''. March 10, 2011.
Smucker attended
Orrville High School
Orrville High School is a public high school in Orrville, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Orrville City School District. The school nickname is the Red Riders.
Orrville's football rivalry with the Wooster High School Generals is the olde ...
, graduating in 1988. He began composing electronic music in high school,
and played in the school's band; his senior year he received the
Louis Armstrong Jazz Band Award.
He attended the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
, receiving a BS in geology with a minor in English in 1992.
In 1996 he received a
Master of International Management degree from the
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...
in Phoenix, Arizona.
["Alumni Mark Smucker '96"](_blank)
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...
. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
Career
Early career
After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1992, Smucker taught eighth-grade science in Alabama for two years.
[Lin-Fisher, Betty]
"J.M. Smucker’s new CEO pursues challenge set forth for family’s fifth generation in the business"
''Akron Beacon Journal
The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon J ...
''. March 14, 2016. He then enrolled in the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona, and had an internship in Mexico City one summer which also took him to Venezuela, Argentina, and Chile.
After receiving his master's degree in international management in 1996, he moved to
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
to work for the advertising company
Leo Burnett Worldwide
Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc., also known as Leo Burnett Company, Inc., is an American advertising company, founded on August 5, 1935, in Chicago by Leo Burnett.
In September 2002, the company was acquired by Publicis Groupe, the world's third l ...
, working on
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
accounts.
The J.M. Smucker Company
Manager and director
In September 1997, still living in Argentina, he joined the family company and became manager of business development in South America.
["J. M. Smucker - Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2002"](_blank)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
. July 26, 2002. In May 1998, he was promoted to director of business development in South America.
In January 2000, he moved to
São Paulo, Brazil
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S ...
, to manage a fruit ingredient business that Smucker's had acquired,
becoming general manager and managing director of Smucker do Brasil
and general manager of
Mercosur
The Southern Common Market, commonly known by Spanish abbreviation Mercosur, and Portuguese Mercosul, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina ...
.
Executive roles
In November 2001, he was elected a vice president of Smucker's and appointed general manager of its international market,
["Mark T Smucker"](_blank)
''Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
* Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and ma ...
''. Retrieved August 1, 2020. and he returned to the U.S. in 2002.
Because the company had acquired the
Jif peanut butter and
Crisco
Crisco is an American brand of shortening that is produced by B%26G Foods. Introduced in June 1911 by Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil, originally cottonseed oil. Additional products marketed un ...
shortening oil brands from Procter & Gamble in June 2002, and was strengthening its focus on its much larger-scale businesses in North America,
his primary responsibility during this time period was divesting many of the company's international assets.
In June 2004, after the company's $840 million acquisition of
International Multifoods, which included
Pillsbury dry baking mixes and frosting,
he was appointed vice president and managing director, Canada.
[Cho, Janet H]
"Mark T. Smucker becomes J.M. Smucker's fifth-generation President and CEO on May 1"
''The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
''. March 7, 2016. In May 2006 he became vice president, international and managing director, Canada,
The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
"Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2007"
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
. July 26, 2007.[Cloud, Kristen]
"Mark T. Smucker To Become President, CEO Of Family’s Company"
''The Shelby Report''. March 8, 2016. and in July 2007 he became vice president, international.
In a reorganization following J.M. Smucker's acquisition of
Folger's
Folgers Coffee is a brand of ground, instant, and single-use pod coffee produced and sold in the United States, with additional distribution in Asia, Canada and Mexico. It forms part of the food and beverage division of The J.M. Smucker Compa ...
, in August 2008 Smucker was promoted to president of its special markets group, which included the company's foodservice, natural food and beverages, and Canadian and international operations.
The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
"Form 8-K"
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
. January 26, 2009. In January 2009, he was also elected to the company's board of directors.
In May 2011, as the company restructured once more while ending its dual-CEO model, Smucker was appointed president of its retail coffee division. In this role he oversaw coffee brands including Folger's,
Millstone Coffee,
Café Bustelo
Café Bustelo is an American coffee brand owned by The J.M. Smucker Company.
History
Gregorio Menendez Bustelo (born June 21, 1894) traveled from his native Spain to Cuba as a young man, and moved to the United States in 1917. He founded the C ...
, and
Dunkin’ Donuts.
In April 2015, as the company reorganized its leadership upon entering the pet food market with the acquisition of
Big Heart Pet Brands
Big Heart Pet Brands is an American company that manufacturers, distributes and markets branded pet food and other products for the U.S. retail market. Now a subsidiary of The J.M. Smucker Company, it is headquartered at the One Maritime Plaza i ...
,
["The J.M. Smucker Company announces executive appointments"](_blank)
''Comunicaffe''. February 10, 2015. and after his cousin Paul Smucker Wagstaff resigned from the company, Smucker was elected president of both the consumer foods and natural foods divisions.
CEO
In March 2016, the company announced, in a planned leadership transition, that Mark Smucker would become president and CEO effective May 1, succeeding his uncle Richard K. Smucker, who had been CEO since 2011 and co-CEO with Mark's father Timothy P. Smucker from 2001 to 2011.
As Mark Smucker became CEO, Richard Smucker became executive chairman, succeeding Timothy Smucker, who remained on the board as a director and chairman emeritus.
As CEO, Smucker has sought to position the company for growth and continued profitability by achieving the right product mix for current-day consumers.
[Shingler, Dan]
"The fifth Smucker has made his mark on the big Orrville food manufacturer"
'' Crain's Cleveland Business''. June 16, 2019.[Burroughs, Adam]
"Mark Smucker is doing what it takes to keep The J.M. Smucker Co. competitive"
''Smart Business''. July 23, 2018.[Bruell, Alexandra]
"J.M. Smucker Revamps Marketing Strategy to Keep Up With Changes, Spur Growth"
''Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''. October 29, 2018. Under his leadership, in 2018 the company acquired Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, the parent company of
Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program ''Rachael Ray'', and the Food Network series '' 30 Minute Meals''. ...
's Nutrish line of dog and cat food,
[Byard, Katie]
"Smucker CEO tends company’s expanded slice of food industry"
''Akron Beacon Journal
The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon J ...
''. July 4, 2019. and sold off its dry baking-mixes business as consumers moved away from cake-mix brands towards buying fresh baked goods and healthier foods.
These two major changes to the company's product lines allowed it to focus on the three categories of pet food, coffee, and snacking – large sectors with projections for continued growth.
He has also made a priority of bringing in smaller, trendy, emerging "craft" brands to the company, in addition to its well-known traditional brands, in order to appeal to consumers', especially younger consumers', changing tastes.
In 2018 the company launched a premium coffee line called 1850, which has a smooth but bolder taste and a heritage backstory about the California Gold Rush, to appeal to millennials.
In his first four years as CEO, Smucker modernized the company's marketing and communications. He focused the company on interacting more closely with consumers by: establishing one-on-one connections between consumers and brands via extensive use of social media and other avenues,
["The J.M. Smucker Company: Bearing Fruit in the Past, Present, and Future"](_blank)
''Stout.com''. October 3, 2018.[Byard, Katie]
"J.M. Smucker wants to build emotional bonds, CEO tells Akron audience"
''Akron Beacon Journal
The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon J ...
''. October 14, 2016. making advertising more contemporary,
and increasing, reorganizing, and deepening brand marketing.
His modernization of the company also included making it more agile and able to respond more quickly to market conditions and changing consumer trends.
This involved utilizing the insights gained via advanced data analytics,
and increasing e-commerce.
In November 2019, the company announced a number of executive leadership changes designed to streamline decision-making and enable greater agility.
In 2019, Smucker updated the company's purpose statement to meet changing consumer and societal dynamics, by gathering a diverse cross-section of 40 of its 7,000 employees from all ranks and departments, together with a consulting firm, for brainstorming. This resulted in a new purpose statement, "Feeding connections that help us thrive – life tastes better together", which he has stated refers to making connections between people and communities, business and communities, and business and the planet.
Smucker has also emphasized and increased the company's corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and environmental protection efforts.
[Gharib, Susie]
"Smucker’s CEO Says Doing Good is Good for Business"
''Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
''. August 6, 2019. In 2014, two years before he became CEO, the company had detailed three specific six-year environmental goals it aimed to achieve by 2020.
[Greenwalt, Megan]
"Ohio Food Manufacturer Achieves Zero Waste Goal Early"
''Waste360''. August 13, 2019. Under Smucker's leadership the company achieved the first two goals a year early, by July 2019; the two benchmarks were diverting 95% of waste which would have gone to landfills; and reducing water use by 15%.
''Yahoo! Finance
Yahoo! Finance is a media property that is part of the Yahoo! network. It provides financial news, data and commentary including stock quotes, press releases, financial reports, and original content. It also offers some online tools for perso ...
''. July 25, 2019. In 2018 the company invested in a windfarm in central U.S. to help achieve its third six-year goal of offsetting its greenhouse-gas emissions by 10% and its electricity usage by 50%.
By 2019, the company had also supported thousands of individual coffee farmers in sustainable practices, and sponsored efforts, via cross-breeding, to develop new varieties of
arabica coffee that can withstand global warming.
He has also preserved and increased the company's longstanding commitment to its employees.
Under his leadership, paid parental leave and paid vacation time have expanded, and pet bereavement leave has been added.
Board memberships
In addition to being on the board of directors of The J. M. Smucker Company, Smucker is on the boards of directors of the
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand na ...
, the
Consumer Brands Association
The Consumer Brands Association (CBA), formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), is a United States-wide trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods (CPG).
The CBA represents companies that manufacture food, bever ...
, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.
He is on the advisory board of the
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
Family Foundation, and is on the Thunderbird Global Alumni Network Advisory Council at the
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...
.
"Thunderbird Global Alumni Network Advisory Council"
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...
. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
Personal life
Smucker lives in Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
. He met his wife Katie during his work stint in Argentina in the late 1990s; at the time she was an American expat working in Mexico City and was on a business trip to Argentina. The couple married in 2000, and have two children.
He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. His hobbies include deejaying house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
.
References
External links
Official bio
at The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smucker, Mark
1969 births
Living people
College of William & Mary alumni
Thunderbird School of Global Management alumni
People from Orrville, Ohio
Businesspeople from Akron, Ohio
American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
American chief executives of food industry companies
21st-century American businesspeople