Today’s food industry is facing a myriad of complex problems ranging from food waste, food insecurity, diet-related chronic conditions like obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and upheavals to the entire food system due to climate concerns and COVID-19. To address these major issues, Business for Impact at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business is launching a new industry leadership initiative that will bring together food executives, non-profit leaders, government regulators, and the public health community to put teeth into advancing actionable, real world solutions.
This new program, Leadership Solutions for Health + Prosperity, will be led by Hank Cardello, former food executive at major corporations, Forbes contributor, author and media personality, who brings a reputation for identifying and architecting industry-driven solutions and commitments to challenging public health and social problems.
“I’m pleased to be part of Georgetown’s Business for Impact and to direct this new program,” Cardello said. “Georgetown’s prestige and Washington, D.C., location at the nexus of public health, nonprofits, and federal government provide the perfect environment to craft business solutions to our nation’s most serious food-related problems.”
“Hank is a perfect fit for Business for Impact,” said executive director Leslie Crutchfield. “His career both in industry and as a thought leader in addressing America’s food-related crises is centered on social problem-solving, and that’s just what we do here. We’re very pleased to have him join our team.”
The new program will undertake executive forums to shape industry and stakeholder solutions to serious industry-related issues, such as obesity and the impact on climate; educational seminars on hot-button issues; groundbreaking research on changing consumer behaviors; and strategic planning with business and regulatory experts. Cardello also will serve as chair to expand the Portion Balance Coalition, a Business for Impact initiative of over 35 companies, nonprofits, government agencies, and academics focused on addressing the obesity epidemic.
Hank Cardello is a regular contributor to Forbes on food industry leadership; the principal investigator of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded study, “Better for you Foods; It’s Just Good Business”; and the author of the book Stuffed: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat. He was an executive at Coca-Cola, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch, and Cadbury-Schweppes and, more recently, served as architect of the Always a Treat Initiative for the confectionery industry in conjunction with the Partnership for a Healthier America.
