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Search During the Summit, Forum members will discuss the Summit’s central theme of how the industry can meet the needs of the world’s ever more knowledgeable and demanding consumers. They will share their perspectives on issues that not only affect the consumer goods sector, but have a wider impact on society and the environment. For example, Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke will provide insights on managing conflicting and controversial choices from the perspective of a global nutrition, health and wellness company, while the CEOs of Unilever and Tesco, Paul Polman and Sir Terry Leahy, will together define what the industry must and can do to protect our planet.
CEOs of world’s leading consumer goods companies come together at Global Summit
PARIS, 15th June 2010 – The Consumer Goods Forum today announced its 2010 Global Summit, which will take place in London on 23 – 25 June 2010. The leaders of some of the worlds’ most influential consumer goods companies will take to the stage in front of nearly 1,000 delegates from 49 countries to outline their strategies for success in a post‐recession, consumer‐led spending environment.
Event speakers include Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever; Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco PLC; Muhtar Kent, CEO, Coca‐Cola Company; Lars Olofsson, CEO, Carrefour; Paul Bulcke, CEO, Nestlé S.A; Gianni Ciserani, President Western Europe, Procter & Gamble; Andy Bond, Chairman, Asda Stores and Mark Price, MD, Waitrose Ltd. As members of The Consumer Goods Forum, which represents manufacturers and retailers, these senior decision makers are driving the collaboration and exchange of ideas that will enable the industry to present a clear, strategic
vision.
Unilever CEO Paul Polman said, “Consumers are understandably worried what’s happening now in the economy, with spending cuts and the threat of unemployment, but whilst we have to help them cope with the here and now, we also have an obligation to help them ‐ and the planet ‐ tomorrow. We can be proud of what we’ve done so far, both individually and as an industry, but we need to do more. I am convinced that, through the Consumer Goods Forum, we can ‐ by mobilising our industry to work together on some key initiatitves to bring real, lasting change; change that’s meaningful for both consumers and the environment.” Tesco CEO Terry Leahy said, “All the evidence shows that climate change is a reality. At Tesco we’ve made a good start on reducing our own carbon footprint, but cutting emissions in the supply chain and helping customers do the same is a big priority. By working together across the industry, we can make a fundamental change to the way we do business and the way our consumers live their lives.”
The Summit’s themes reflect the strategic pillars that guide the work of The Consumer Goods Forum, the new, independent organisation formed last year by the merger of CIES –the Food Business Forum and the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI). These pillars are central to the advancement of today’s consumer goods industry and represent Emerging Trends, Sustainability, Health & Wellness and Food Safety, Operational Excellence and Knowledge Sharing & People Development. The Consumer Goods Forum also manages The Global Food Safety Initiative, a collaborative programme that benchmarks and recognises standards and certification schemes, increasing trust and minimising the need for multiple audits.
Consumer Goods Forum Managing Director Jean‐Marc Saubade will present the organisation’s vision at the Summit, during a press Q&A session with Forum Board members Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca‐Cola Company, and Lars Olofsson, CEO of Carrefour.
“We’re tremendously excited about the innovative ideas and strategies we anticipate will emerge from this year’s Global Summit,” said Jean‐Marc Saubade, Managing Director at The Consumer Goods Forum. “This event presents a rare opportunity for industry leaders to get together to discuss not only how we can meet the needs, but how we can inspire the consumers of the future. It will set the agenda on some of the most pressing challenges we face, helping us to work together to create better lives through better business.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Global Summit 2010
Media are welcome to attend the Global Summit (please see below for information on how to request your registration. Details about the full programme are available via the Summit website:
The Summit will take place at:
The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEII)
Broad Sanctuary, Westminster
London SW1P 3EE
About The Consumer Goods Forum
The Consumer Goods Forum is an independent global parity‐based consumer goods network. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of over 650 retailers, manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders across 70 countries.
The Forum was created in June 2009 by the merger of CIES ‐ The Food Business Forum, the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) and the Global CEO Forum. The Consumer Goods Forum is governed by its Board of Directors, which includes an equal number of manufacturer and retailer CEOs and Chairmen. Forum member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.1 trillion.
The Forum provides a unique global platform for thought leadership, knowledge exchange and networking between retailers, manufacturers and their partners on collaborative, non‐competitive issues. Its strength lies in the privileged access it offers to the key players in the sector as well as in the development and
implementation of best practices along the value chain.
It has a mandate from its members to develop common positions on key strategic and practical issues affecting the consumer goods business and to focus on non‐competitive collaborative process improvement.
With its headquarters in Paris and its regional offices in Washington, D.C., Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai, The Consumer Goods Forum serves its members throughout the world. Further information is available via the Forum’s website: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com
For more information contact:
Anne Malbrancq
The Consumer Goods Forum
a.malbrancq@theconsumergoodsforum.com
