Food Executive Program

6:00pm – 8:30pm

Opening Reception and Orientation Dinner

8:30am – 8:00pm

• Program Overview and Welcome
  • Ed McLaughlin
• Industry Trends
  • Bryan Gildenberg
  • In this fast-paced era of digital transformation, retail has become a battleground where traditional giants are clashing with agile disruptors. It’s a survival of the fittest, where adaptability and customer-centricity reign supreme. In this session, Bryan Gildenburg will explore the seismic shifts shaping the global retail industry, dissecting the forces that are reshaping consumer behavior and challenging established business models.
• Executive Session
  • Shelly Palmer
  • AI in the Food Industry – An exclusive executive session centered around leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance productivity, speed, and efficiency within the food industry. This specialized session aims to equip you with practical insights and strategies for harnessing AI’s transformative power.

• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 1
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams compete as they operate a retail food company in a computerized simulation of a dynamic and competitive market. Decisions are made regarding promotional strategy, pricing, labor, procurement, inventory, and capital expenditures.
• Working Dinner

8.30am – 8:30pm

• Unlocking Financial Levers
  • Drew Pascarella
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the financial mechanics driving retailers and CPGs in this session focused on deconstructing the Profit & Loss (P&L) statement. Learn to identify key revenue drivers, cost structures, and profit levers to uncover actionable insights that can optimize performance and drive growth in competitive markets.
• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 2
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams continue their simulation experience.
• Case Study Deep Dive: Strategy and Supply Chains
  • Li Chen and Sarah Wolfolds
  • In this interactive session, you will have the opportunity to explore and discuss case studies in the areas of strategy and supply chains. You will divide up into small groups to critically assess and apply concepts to the cases and subsequently to your own organization. By the end, you will be equipped to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and daily operations.

• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 3
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams continue their simulation experience.
• Networking Happy Hour and Dinner

8:30am – 5:00pm

• Case Discussion: Omnichannel
  • Young-Hoon Park
  • Learning to think fast on your feet with limited information sharpens your analytical skills and empowers you to make critical decisions in real time. You will dive into a case study to tackle some of the most important industry issues.
• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 4
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams continue their simulation experience.
• Retail Media Networks
  • The CPG Guys: Peter Bond, Sri Rajagopalan
  • In this session, you will explore the transformative impact of retail media as a key channel for engaging consumers and driving measurable performance across the marketing funnel. Learn how retailers are enabling brands to leverage longitudinal purchasing data to target audiences with precision and activate media across onsite, offsite, and in-store channels. Gain actionable insights to integrate retail media into your marketing strategies and accelerate growth in today’s dynamic omnichannel environment.
• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 5
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams continue their simulation experience
• Free Night for Networking and Exploring Ithaca

8:30am – 8:30pm

• Executive Session
  • Gordon Reid, Sara Wheeler, and Ed McLaughlin
  • A candid discussion of corporate vision, management philosophies, and critical industry issues with the President of Stop & Shop and the VP, Commercial Development of Nestlé USA.
• Food Retailer Turnaround: Supermarket Simulation Session 6
  • Miguel Gomez, Adam Brumberg
  • Teams continue their simulation experience.
• Storytelling for Leaders
  • Andrew Quagliata
  • Stories are one of the most powerful tools we have for connection, influence, and impact in the workplace. In this interactive session, you’ll learn why storytelling matters, explore a simple but effective storytelling framework, and develop your own personal story. You’ll have time to outline your own story, get feedback from your peers, and reflect on how to apply storytelling more intentionally in your role.
• Cornell Campus Tour
• Celebration Dinner at Taughannock Falls State Park
  • 4:00pm – 9:00pm

8:00am – 1:00pm

• Wall Street View
  • Jason English
  • Through a financial lens, explore how the food industry is facing disruption along with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as companies, markets, consumers, and the industry adapt. 

• Forecast for the Future
  • Miguel Gomez and Dan Hooker
  • In a provocative and interactive session, you will work with other participants to create a consensus forecast for the future of the hospitality industry and, in turn, develop strategies to prepare your company for future challenges and opportunities.
• Certificate Presentations and Program Conclusion