Jan 29, 2019

By: Carol Abel, Vice President of Education Program Development, Food Marketing Institute
Future Leaders Map

My kids are in college and while they are enjoying their campus experience, they can’t wait to graduate. I tell them all the time that graduation will come and go, but you’ll never stop learning. In today’s fast-pace food retail industry professionals need to be life-long learners—always seeking new skills and fine-tuning their knowledge.

We at FMI know this all too well and we also know we can offer food retail professionals a unique perspective as their association, tracking consumer trends and strategic and operations data. For this reason, we’ve spent the last year developing new certificate and development programs that offer food retail professionals different ways to be life-long learners.

First, for industry professionals looking to take on a leadership role, we’ve created the Food Retail Leadership Certificate. This six-month program is grounded in our Future Leaders eXperience, but takes participants deeper with pre- and post-work, online seminars, assessments and more. Those who earn the Food Retail Leader Certificate will be recognized in the industry as qualified and committed food retail leaders and will provide an extra edge in their professional career path.

This program was created in 2018 and already we’ve seen a significant number of professionals graduate. Of the 350 participants in Future Leaders last year, 92 individuals, or 26 percent of attendees, completed the certificate. 

Beyond the Food Retail Leadership Certificate, we’ve developed several different ways for food retail professionals and companies to scale their education needs:

  • Perhaps your staff need to better understand the big-picture and what is changing in food retail. The Food Retail Learning Map Experience, which offers a birds-eye view of the rapidly evolving food retail industry, might be the right fit.
  • Maybe you love the idea of a tailored Future Leaders program for your company. Future Leaders Direct, with it’s customized approach for your organization, is the perfect choice.
  • If you’re interested in partnering with community colleges to grow skilled professionals, then the Retail Management Certificate Program is right for you.
  • At the heart of all our leadership skill-building opportunities is our Future Leaders eXperience, an annual conference offering rising stars a street-smart approach to leadership that will change the way they see themselves, lead their teams and impact business results.

Our industry needs life-long learners to face the challenges of today and leverage the opportunities of tomorrow. We invite you to join us in learning and find the right certificate and development program for you.

FMI Certificates and Development