“Carlos Gutierrez understands the world of business, from the first rung on the ladder to the very top. He knows exactly what it takes to help businesses grow and to create jobs.”
Throughout his career, Carlos Gutierrez has witnessed many different styles of leadership and he has incorporated the best of these traits into his own life. His leadership journey provided him an up-close view of both corporate leaders and heads of state, giving him a unique perspective to provide leadership lessons from both sectors of our economy. With firsthand experience in the vast opportunities America has to offer, Carlos Gutierrez has a rich range of perspectives on the world of business. He understands the point of view of the salesman just starting out, the immigrant forging a career in a new country, the corporate executive steering a company with a household name, and the government official working to advance business around the world.
Participants in this program you will learn:
· The varied approaches and surprising tactics all great leaders have in common
· Why having the will to lead and the desire to embrace risk creates dynamic leaders
· How to foster environments where innovation can thrive and superior results can be produced
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Carlos Gutierrez is the son of Cuban immigrants who began his career selling Kellogg's cereal to small grocery stores in Mexico City and eventually rose to become the youngest CEO in the 100-year history of Kellogg Company. Gutierrez, faced the challenge of reversing the downward spiral in which the respected company found itself. Kellogg had been under-performing for more than five years and was losing out to its major competitor, General Mills. Pledging to boost profits, Gutierrez developed a strategy that would effectively reinvent how Kellogg did business and through a series of acquisitions expanded Kellogg’s presence in a number of non-cereal areas. Gutierrez directed the Kellogg toward brand building and launching new products to increase sales. To ensure Kellogg maintained its well-known and trusted name in its key categories, Gutierrez increased marketing efforts and entered into licensing agreements with leaders in children's entertainment, including Disney and Nickelodeon. The new strategic plan executed by Gutierrez produced results. Between 1999 and 2003 sales increased 43 percent and earnings 131 percent. Because of his success there was speculation Gutierrez might be lured by a larger company to bring about another turnaround. In 2005, he was tapped to be the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He now currently sits on the board of several companies including United Technologies, GLW Corning, and Occidental Petroleum.