General Mills, Inc., (NYSE: GIS) today announced the appointment of Jerry Lynch as Chief Sustainability Officer. In his new role, Lynch leads the company's global environmental sustainability initiative, further building General Mills' strong heritage of positive environmental stewardship.

"General Mills is committed to protecting natural resources by examining every aspect of our operations, from agriculture to global transportation, for opportunities to reduce our environmental impact," said Chris Shea, Executive Vice President, External Relations for General Mills. "Jerry's unique combination of business acumen, sustainability experience and leadership skills will drive the continuous advancement of sustainable business initiatives at General Mills."

Lynch began his career at General Mills in 1995, and has served in various marketing and commercial roles for the company around the world. Prior to this role, Lynch was vice president of applied sustainability, where he led sustainability business integration and program development worldwide.

Active in key industry sustainability initiatives, Lynch has served on the Sustainability Consortium, Field to Market Alliance and the NorthStar Consortium. In addition to his day job, Lynch volunteers his time coordinating management knowledge transfer as part of the company's Partners in Food Solutions program which focuses on alleviating hunger and poverty among women and children in Africa.

Lynch succeeds Gene Kahn, who announced his retirement from General Mills this month. Kahn was the company's first Chief Sustainability Officer in 2003, and worked cross-functionally to raise awareness and inspire others to focus on a series of changes that have made a significant impact in reducing the company’s environmental footprint. Kahn also worked with retail customers and other external partners to help shape industry transformation in sustainability.

"While we will miss Gene’s wisdom, knowledge, and fresh perspective, we wish him the very best in the exciting next phase of his life - pursuing the eradication of hunger and poverty around the world, an area of great passion and meaning in his life," said Shea.

About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Yoplait, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2010 global net sales of US$16 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.

General Mills

General Mills

About General Mills

General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2015 worldwide sales of US $18.8 billion.

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