Mark Timothy Smucker"Seniors". Colonial Echo. 1992. Volume 94. College of William & Mary. p. 387. (born December 30, 1969)"Mark Timothy Smucker". Ohio Residents. Retrieved August 1, 2020. is an American businessman who has been the president and CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company since May 2016. He is the fifth-generation member of the Smucker family to lead the business, a now publicly traded Fortune 500 company encompassing coffee, packaged food, and pet food, headquartered in Orrville, Ohio.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had held executive positions since 2001 in the company's Canadian, international, special markets, coffee, consumer foods, and natural foods divisions, and had been a member of its board of directors since 2009. He had been in managerial positions at the company from 1997 to 2001.
Early life and education Smucker was born in 1969, the son of Timothy P. SmuckerCalvey, Mark. "P&G’s Pringles may be diamond in the rough". San Francisco Business Times. September 22, 2010. and the great-great-grandson of Jerome Monroe Smucker, who had founded The J.M. Smucker Company (Smucker's) in 1897."Frequently Asked Questions". The J.M. Smucker Company. Retrieved August 1, 2020. He grew up in Orrville, Ohio, where the company is headquartered.De Lisle, Claire. "With a name like Smucker's ...". College of William & Mary. July 9, 2018.
Like most members of his extended family, he worked summers at the company when he was in middle school, high school, and college, doing a variety of jobs including janitorial work, quality control, marketing and sales, and procurement, and working in various departments at the corporate offices."T-bird stewards share family business lessons". Thunderbird School of Global Management. June 22, 2016.Carter, Kristoffer. "Mark Smucker: A Fortune 500 CEO on Business Transformation, and Bringing Your Whole Self to Work". This Epic Life. January 28, 2020. Family members who wanted an executive career at the company were also expected to try something else first for at least two years, and to get a master's degree.Shingler, Dan. "Still all in the family". Crain's Cleveland Business. May 23–29, 2016.Cho, Janet H. "J.M. Smucker Co. promotes two fifth-generation family members to high-profile roles". The Plain Dealer. March 10, 2011.
Smucker attended Orrville High School, graduating in 1988."OHS Class of 1988 graduate Mark Smucker, interview on CNBC". Orrville High School Alumni Association on Facebook. March 26, 2020. He began composing electronic music in high school, and played in the school's band; his senior year he received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Band Award."OHS band banquet plays to a packed house". Orrville Courier Crescent. May 5, 1988. p. 10.
He attended the College of William & Mary, receiving a BS in geology with a minor in English in 1992."Seniors". Colonial Echo. 1992. Volume 94. College of William & Mary. p. 400. In 1996 he received a Master of International Management degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona."Alumni Mark Smucker '96". Thunderbird School of Global Management. Retrieved August 1, 2020."Greater Akron Chamber Presents Mark Smucker as the Speaker for the October 14 Morning Buzz". Greater Akron Chamber. September 26, 2016.
Career Early career After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1992, Smucker enrolled in the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona, and had an internship in Mexico City one summer which also took him to Venezuela, Argentina, and Chile. After receiving his master's degree in international management in 1996, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to work for the advertising company Leo Burnett Worldwide, working on Procter & Gamble accounts.
The J.M. Smucker Company Manager and director In September 1997, still living in Argentina, he joined the family company and became manager of business development in South America."J. M. Smucker - Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2002". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. July 26, 2002.Lin-Fisher, Betty. "J.M. Smucker’s new CEO pursues challenge set forth for family’s fifth generation in the business". Akron Beacon Journal. March 14, 2016. In May 1998, he was promoted to director of business development in South America. In January 2000, he moved to São Paulo, Brazil, to manage a fruit ingredient business that Smucker's had acquired,Gartlan, Kieran. "Trade officials eye growing market on 1st stop". The Blade. March 6, 2001 becoming general manager and managing director of Smucker do Brasil and general manager of Mercosur.McCann, Jessica. "Globalization: Good Or Evil?". Thunderbird. Volume 54, Number 3. 2001. p. 6.Lee, Allen. "10 Things You Didn’t Know about J.M. Smucker CEO Mark Smucker". Money Inc.. 2019.
Executive roles In November 2001, he was elected a vice president of Smucker's and appointed general manager of its international market,"Mark T Smucker". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 1, 2020. and he returned to the U.S. in 2002. Because the company had acquired the Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening oil brands from Procter & Gamble in June 2002,Lazo, Shirley A. "Peanut Butter & Payouts". Wall Street Journal. April 21, 2003. and was strengthening its focus on its much larger-scale businesses in North America, his primary responsibility during this time period was divesting many of the company's international assets.
In June 2004, after the company's $840 million acquisition of International Multifoods, which included Pillsbury dry baking mixes and frosting,Lebensmittel Zeitung. "J.M. Smucker acquires International Multifoods". NewHope.com. March 8, 2004. he was appointed vice president and managing director, Canada.The J.M. Smucker Company. "Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2004". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. July 13, 2004.Cho, Janet H. "Mark T. Smucker becomes J.M. Smucker's fifth-generation President and CEO on May 1". The Plain Dealer. March 7, 2016. In May 2006 he became vice president, international and managing director, Canada,The J.M. Smucker Company. "Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2007". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. July 26, 2007.Cloud, Kristen. "Mark T. Smucker To Become President, CEO Of Family’s Company". The Shelby Report. March 8, 2016. and in July 2007 he became vice president, international.
In a reorganization following J.M. Smucker's acquisition of Folger's, in August 2008 Smucker was promoted to president of its special markets group, which included the company's foodservice, natural food and beverages, and Canadian and international operations.Lukovitz, Karlene. "Smucker's Shifts Top Positions in Prep for Folgers Integration". MediaPost. August 22, 2008."J.M. Smucker Promotes Key Leaders". ConsumerGoods.com. August 21, 2008."J.M. Smucker announces new promotions". Chain Store Age. August 26, 2008.The J.M. Smucker Company. "Form 8-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. January 26, 2009. In January 2009, he was also elected to the company's board of directors."The J. M. Smucker Company Announces New Directors". PR Newswire. January 26, 2009.
In May 2011, as the company restructured once more while ending its dual-CEO model, Smucker was appointed president of its retail coffee division.Locher, Paul. "New leadership structure at J.M. Smucker Co. includes sole CEO". The Daily Record. March 10, 2011.The J.M. Smucker Company. "Smucker makes changes to executive team". Chain Store Age. March 8, 2011."Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. June 21, 2013. In this role he oversaw coffee brands including Folger's, Millstone Coffee, Café Bustelo, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
In April 2015, as the company reorganized its leadership upon entering the pet food market with the acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands,"The J.M. Smucker Company announces executive appointments". Comunicaffe. February 10, 2015. and after his cousin Paul Smucker Wagstaff resigned from the company,Lin-Fisher, Betty. "Paul Smucker Wagstaff, one of highest-ranking fifth generation at Smucker's, resigns from company". Akron Beacon Journal. December 9, 2014.Cho, Janet H. "J.M. Smucker to name new president of U.S. consumer foods after Paul Smucker Wagstaff resignation". The Plain Dealer. January 6, 2015.Lin-Fisher, Betty. "Smucker announces executive reorganization". Akron Beacon Journal. February 11, 2015. Smucker was elected president of both the consumer foods and natural foods divisions.The J.M. Smucker Company. "Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. June 15, 2015.
CEO In March 2016, the company announced, in a planned leadership transition, that Mark Smucker would become president and CEO effective May 1, succeeding his uncle Richard K. Smucker, who had been CEO since 2011 and co-CEO with Mark's father Timothy P. Smucker from 2001 to 2011."The J.M. Smucker Company Announces Leadership Transition to Foster Next Chapter of Growth and Success". PR Newswire. March 7, 2016. As Mark Smucker became CEO, Richard Smucker became executive chairman, succeeding Timothy Smucker, who remained on the board as a director and chairman emeritus."J.M. Smucker Co. of Orrville reveals leadership changes, fifth-generation of family named as CEO". Akron Beacon Journal. March 7, 2016.
As CEO, Smucker has sought to position the company for growth and continued profitability by achieving the right product mix for current-day consumers.Shingler, Dan. "The fifth Smucker has made his mark on the big Orrville food manufacturer". Crain's Cleveland Business. June 16, 2019.Burroughs, Adam. "Mark Smucker is doing what it takes to keep The J.M. Smucker Co. competitive". Smart Business. July 23, 2018.Bruell, Alexandra. "J.M. Smucker Revamps Marketing Strategy to Keep Up With Changes, Spur Growth". Wall Street Journal. October 29, 2018. Under his leadership, in 2018 the company acquired Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, the parent company of Rachael Ray's Nutrish line of dog and cat food,Byard, Katie. "Smucker CEO tends company’s expanded slice of food industry". Akron Beacon Journal. July 4, 2019.Gushard, Keith. "Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to be sold in $1.9 billion deal". Meadville Tribune. April 5, 2018. and sold off its dry baking-mixes business as consumers moved away from cake-mix brands towards buying fresh baked goods and healthier foods.Gasparro, Annie. "Smucker Dumps Pillsbury Doughboy". Wall Street Journal. July 9, 2018.Gasparro, Annie. "Smucker to Buy Parent of Pet-Food Maker Nutrish". Wall Street Journal. April 4, 2018. These two major changes to the company's product lines allowed it to focus on the three categories of pet food, coffee, and snacking – large sectors with projections for continued growth.Webb, Kayla. "The J.M. Smucker Company to Sell U.S. Baking Business Brands for $375 Million". DeliMarketNews.com. July 10, 2018.Lin-Fisher, Betty. "J.M. Smucker sells U.S. baking business for $375 million". The Times-Gazette. July 9, 2018.