General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (A)

Jeff Harmening, CEO of General Mills, one of the world's largest manufacturers of breakfast cereals and packaged foods, was deeply disturbed and instantly aware that he and General Mills would need to respond. George Floyd, an African-American man who had been accused by a sales clerk of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, had been arrested and then killed by Minneapolis police. The video of his heart-wrenching death had gone viral worldwide. In the past, the company had not typically commented on racial incidents. But this time felt different. As the leader of one of Minneapolis' largest companies, and one profoundly committed to its community, Harmening needed to determine how and to whom to respond.