Trust as a Foundation for Growth

• Consumer Goods Forum Annual Summit convenes in New York City 24th- 26th June  
• Delegates to explore ‘Trust as a Foundation for Growth’ in rich programme featuring  keynotes, plenaries, ‘fireside’ conversations and panel discussions
• Michael Bloomberg to deliver keynote address
 
PARIS, April 28th, 2015 – The Consumer Goods Forum (the “CGF”) today announcesthatin exactly two months,New York City will play host to scores of CEOs from the world’s most influential consumer and retail brands, to address the issue of consumer trust at the CGF’s 59th Annual Summit. This year more than 800 delegates from over 400 companies will gather for the Summit, which will focus on ‘Trust as a Foundation for Growth’. Delegates and speakers span the entire consumer goods ecosystem including retailers, manufacturers and their service providers.
 

While 49% of the public do not trust businesses to do what is right, only 37% of CEOs say they are concerned about the issue of trust in their sector (Hansen, 2015) Using extraordinary case studies from across the industry, the Summit will explore the importance of trust and reputation to the consumer goods industry and examine how some businesses are using disruptive innovation to win and retain consumer trust. The Summit will also seek to draw lessons from organisations that have turned consumer trust into a competitive differentiator; drawing on major related themes such as data security breaches, food safety scares, rising obesity and environmental degradation.

Internationally Renowned Speakers

At this year’s Summit, the CGF’s co-chairs, Paul Bulcke, CEO, Nestle and Dick Boer, CEO, Royal Ahold and the CGF’s Managing Director, Peter Freedman, will be joined by some of the most influential business people in the consumer goods industry to explore how companies can build and retain consumer trust for 2015 and beyond. Comprising a mix of plenary speeches, panel discussions, ‘fireside’ conversations and special interest sessions, the Summit will span the following core subject areas: Disruptive Innovation; ‘Digital Native’ Retail; Growth Champions in Regional Markets; the Future of Payments; and Beyond Growth.

The Summit will be opened by a keynote address from Michael Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg and former New York City Mayor. Prestigious speakers, panel members and participants include:

  • Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo
  • Marissa Mayer, CEO, Yahoo!
  • Victoria Mars, Chairman, Mars Inc
  • A. G. Lafley, Chairman, President & CEO, Procter & Gamble
  • Gary Briggs, CMO, Facebook
  • Stefano Pessina, Acting CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance
  • Graham Allan, Group Chief Executive, Dairy Farm
  • Rob Lyod, President, Development and Sales, Cisco System
  • Dan Wagner, CEO, Powa

Peter Freedman, Managing Director at The Consumer Goods Forum, commented:“Our number one priority is consumer trust. It is what has been powering our industries for decades but trust is quickly eroding, making this year’s Annual Summit more pivotal than ever. Trust is driven by behaviour. Consumers are becoming more curious in an increasingly digital world so they expect more openness and transparency from the brands that touch their lives daily. Retailers and manufacturers have to take greater care and behave in a way that preserves and builds trust in consumers. This year’s Summit will help embed transparency in the future of the consumer goods industry to ultimately empower the consumer.”

Innovation at the i-Zone

In addition to the speaker programme, the CGF will host its ‘i-Zone’ at the heart of the 2015 Summit, showcasing the latest cutting-edge and creative ideas from the retail and consumer goods industries. This stylish display area offers a window on the most innovative concepts that each participating company has to offer, adding genuine value to the Summit. The CGF will also use the i-Zone to update members on progress against its strategic areas.

The CGF works to create ‘better lives through better business’. Manufacturers and retailers partner with The CGF to develop common positions and improve in four strategic priority areas for the industry – sustainability, health & wellness, product safety and end-to-end value chain. More: https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/ and http://www.tcgfsummit.com

 
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About The Consumer Goods Forum
 
The Consumer Goods Forum (“the CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.
 
For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.
 
For more information contact:

Fergus Campbell, Golin
Mobile: +44 (0) 7799 132 303 / Office: +44 (0) 20 7067 0699 / fcampbell@golin.com

Isabelle Odesser, Director, Membership & Communications, The Consumer Goods Forum
i.odesser@theconsumergoodsforum.com