Kraft Heinz's Future

In our lives, we all have moments that we remember with total clarity. This happened to me recently when I walked into the Aon Center in downtown Chicago, and officially started work as CEO of Kraft Heinz. I am both humbled and honored.

The 76th floor of this iconic high-rise contains a larger-than-life Kool-Aid man bursting through the wall, a tower of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and other products loved by people across the globe. It’s a reminder of the impact of Kraft Heinz in the world, and the far-reaching influence of our global and local brands.

I won’t go through Kraft Heinz’s storied history, nor our roster of brands that hold the No. 1 or No. 2 spots in about 50 categories. After all, you probably know most of them. Chances are high that you’re one of the 97 percent of U.S. households with a Kraft Heinz product in your refrigerator or pantry.

What I want to do is talk about the future. In marketing and industry circles, it’s fashionable to say big, iconic brands – or at least the type of consumer brands that Kraft Heinz makes – are on the way out. Type “death of brands” into your favorite search engine, and you’ll get tens of millions of results.

As the new CEO of Kraft Heinz, my goal is to prove this conventional wisdom wrong. 

I do not believe that we’re in a new world where brand loyalty has disappeared. To the contrary. Faced with near limitless choice, brands matter more than ever. They connect families, friends, generations, cultures and histories. And for our products specifically, they are a guarantee of quality.

In my opinion, we’re not facing the death of brands but rather the latest iteration of an ultra-competitive marketplace. The Consumer Packaged Goods space, where Kraft Heinz competes, is filled with many outstanding products from both legendary companies and newer startups. My goal is straight-forward: for Kraft Heinz to be among the elite companies that understand and lead this marketplace.

To do so, I have two watchwords: curiosity and speed. We will win the future with an obsessive curiosity about how consumers eat, where they eat, how they work and how they play. It’s about diving into everyday life, learning from best practices from within and outside the company, and being inspired by the world around us. In other words, it’s about understanding the lives of consumers today and in the future.

But this type of curiosity is useful only when followed by action. Our brands need to innovate fast and meaningfully to stay relevant. Faced with so much competition, we have no choice but to prioritize speed. 

As I begin my work, one area of focus will be premiumization. We win with products that are the highest quality, have the best taste, and are the best fit in our consumers’ lives. This approach works. I’ve seen it happen time and time again in my previous experiences, and it’s happening now at Kraft Heinz. Thanks to innovations that have extended the 150-year-old Heinz brand into new retail categories, Heinz Tomato Ketchup recently achieved an all-time high U.S. market share, topping 70%. Philadelphia has consistent share growth since 2014, and currently holds 68% market share. 

Kraft Heinz will deliver on winning the future, and the reason is the incredible people who work here. Our culture – founded on the concepts of Meritocracy and Ownership – encourages exceptional curiosity, drive, and performance. Combine this foundation with our powerhouse brands and our size and scale, and we are well-positioned for long-term success. I’d much rather be in our position than to be a company with products desperately seeking name recognition among consumers.

In my first hours as Kraft Heinz CEO, I stood next to a classic Wienermobile, serving our Oscar Mayer hot dogs to employees. It was a tangible way of showing my commitment to our people and to consumers around the world who love our products. It’s also a demonstration of Kraft Heinz’s commitment to quality – the Oscar Mayer brand made radical changes in 2017, becoming the first to market with no added nitrates or nitrites, no artificial preservatives in the meat, and no by-products in every single one of our hot dogs.

I am positive that Kraft Heinz’s best days are ahead. This is a dream of a lifetime for me, and it starts today.