Rena Nickerson is a major CPG expert and industry leader in Toronto, so it was great to chat with her about leadership and mentorship.
She earned an English degree from Columbia University followed by an MBA from the Schulich School Of Business at York University. Throughout her career, she’s held coveted marketing roles at some of the biggest brands. She worked at Heinz, Colgate Palmolive, Campbell’s, Kraft and Church & Dwight.
After selling well-known foods and drinks for 20 years, I was curious about her grocery shopping habits. She appreciates the convenience of Walmart’s delivery service and loves the dips at Thornhill’s latest hotspot, Olive Branch!
Rena became widely recognized as the General Manager of SodaStream Canada, which led to her current role as General Manager, Quaker Canada at PepsiCo.
The Quaker Crispy Minis butter popcorn flavour has been one of my favourite snacks for years. It’s the ultimate comfort food for movie night that belongs in your pantry! When my birthday trip to Halifax coincided with Hurricane Dorian, I bought them for the hotel, which made the experience more fun.
Our conversation covered a lot, including her observations of the Quaker plant, advice on onboarding new hires and tips for young professionals. Rena developed Quaker College at PepsiCo as a helpful resource to make joining her team less daunting. “I love The First 90 Days, so this is a tool to help people find their quick wins!”
Rena opened up about how her executive coach and nanny helped her reach this stage in her career. We also discussed how LinkedIn is a highlight reel that doesn’t show you everything about the influential people you admire.
“Everyone has failures and we get through it. Don’t hold anyone up as an example of where you should be. Comparisons are super unhelpful, especially in social media.”
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