Mickie French, an accomplished global expert in food value chain communications and marketing strategy, is the new executive director of The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). CFI is a not-for-profit with a diverse membership whose sole mission is to help today’s food system earn consumer trust.
French has extensive experience in the food industry, from agriculture to ingredients to CPG, helping high-profile companies and organizations develop and implement purpose-driven approaches. Her expertise has positioned her as a trusted strategy and innovation partner with a knack for bringing together multiple stakeholders to drive significant impact on critical issues.
In senior strategic leadership roles with advertising and public relations firms, French has worked with some of the world’s most powerful brands to launch them into new markets or reposition them for growth and success. She has lived and worked in 10 countries and her impressive client roster includes CPG companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Mars, Inc., Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, as well as B2B companies including SAP, Honeywell, Visa and myriad healthcare companies. She also led the turnaround of communication agency offices in China, Russia, Australia and Mexico.
An advocate for global education, French has served on the executive leadership committee and various other volunteer committees of The Thunderbird School of Global Management where she earned an MBA in International Management. She also was a frequent guest lecturer at the Singapore Management University and the Budapest University of Economics.
French, who will work from her home office in the Chicagoland area, begins her new role May 2. She takes over for Terry Fleck, who announced his retirement late last year. Fleck has served as executive director for 15 years, since the organization’s inception.
