Trust tops agenda for retail/CPG execs

When CEOs from Walgreens, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and other global leaders gather in New York in late June for the Consumer Goods Forum’s Annual Summit, one of the thorny issues to be addressed is that people don’t trust them to do what is right.

Research cited by the global trade group indicates that 49% of the public do not trust businesses to do what is “right,” while 37% of CEOs say they are concerned about the issue of trust in their sector. Using case studies from across the industry, the Summit, to be held June 24-26, will explore the importance of trust and reputation to the consumer goods industry and examine how some businesses are using disruptive innovation to win and retain consumer trust.

The Summit will also seek to draw lessons from organizations that have turned consumer trust into a competitive differentiator; drawing on major related themes such as data security breaches, food safety scares, rising obesity and environmental degradation.

At this year’s Summit, the CGF’s co-chairs, Paul Bulcke, CEO, Nestle and Dick Boer, CEO, Royal Ahold and the CGF’s Managing Director, Peter Freedman, will be joined by some of the most influential business people in the consumer goods industry to explore how companies can build and retain consumer trust for 2015 and beyond. Comprising a mix of plenary speeches, panel discussions, ‘fireside’ conversations and special interest sessions, the Summit will span the following core subject areas: Disruptive Innovation; ‘Digital Native’ Retail; Growth Champions in Regional Markets; the Future of Payments; and Beyond Growth.

The Summit will be opened by a keynote address from Michael Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg and former New York City Mayor. Prestigious speakers, panel members and participants include:

• Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo

• Marissa Mayer, CEO, Yahoo!

• Victoria Mars, Chairman, Mars Inc

• A. G. Lafley, Chairman, President & CEO, Procter & Gamble

• Gary Briggs, CMO, Facebook

• Stefano Pessina, Acting CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance

• Graham Allan, Group Chief Executive, Dairy Farm

• Rob Lyod, President, Development and Sales, Cisco System

• Dan Wagner, CEO, Powa

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